February 15th 2024.
According to recent reports, Russell Simmons is facing a lawsuit for sexual harassment and battery from a former Def Jam executive, who claims she was raped by the music mogul back in the 1990s. The accuser, known as Jane Doe, worked as a senior music executive and video producer at Def Jam during that time and has since become a writer and producer.
The incident allegedly took place when Simmons invited Doe to his New York City apartment to approve a music video. However, things took a disturbing turn when Simmons initiated a "wrestling" match with Doe, which quickly escalated into aggressive behavior. Doe claims that Simmons pinned her down on a bed and proceeded to rape her, despite her repeated pleas for him to stop.
Sadly, the trauma of the assault did not end there for Doe. She continued to suffer from frequent panic attacks, depression, and anxiety while working at Def Jam, where Simmons also subjected her to harassment. According to the complaint, Simmons would sit on her desk, make sexual advances and innuendos, and even block her from leaving the room.
The situation became so unbearable that a senior executive had to intervene and ask Simmons to leave Doe's office. Eventually, Doe resigned from Def Jam in 1997 and went on to work as an executive producer for TV and commercial production companies.
This lawsuit is not the first time Simmons has been accused of sexual misconduct. In 2017, former Def Jam exec Drew Dixon publicly accused him of sexual assault and detailed the alleged attack in the 2020 documentary "On The Record." Dixon also claims to have experienced harassment from L.A. Reid while working at Arista Records.
In fact, just last year, Dixon filed a lawsuit against Reid for sexual assault and retaliation, claiming that he hindered her career after she rejected his advances. Now, Reid is requesting all documents related to Dixon's allegations against Simmons.
It seems Simmons is no stranger to facing such accusations, as he has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 18 women. However, in a recent interview, Simmons denied these claims, stating that he has taken nine lie detector tests, which allegedly prove his innocence.
Since the first allegations against him surfaced in 2017, Simmons has been living in Bali, Indonesia. But now, with this new lawsuit, he is being forced to face the consequences of his alleged actions. Time will tell how this situation will unfold, but one thing is for sure: the voices of these brave women who have come forward should not be silenced or ignored.
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