Russell Simmons is being sued by a former Def Jam video producer over allegations of rape and sexual assault that took place in the 1990s.
Advertising sign received the complaint filed in New York Federal Court on Tuesday (February 12), which was filed under the title “Jane Doe” to protect the victim's identity. She described the “disastrous” experiences with the music mogul that led to the “derailment” of her career.
Doe claimed she was raped in the late 1990s by Simmons in his Manhattan apartment when she visited him at his residence to get approval for a video.
While in his bedroom, she claimed Simmons pinned her down in a “wrestling” motion and proceeded to rape her, despite her repeatedly stating her desire to stop his unwanted sexual advances.
Ms. Doe tried to continue her executive job at Def Jam, but suffered alleged panic attacks and developed an eating disorder, eventually moving across the country to California in search of new opportunities in 1997.
She quit three jobs in the two years following her alleged sexual assault at the hands of Simmons, in part because of her crippling anxiety.
“As detailed in the complaint, our client was sexually assaulted and harassed by her boss, Russell Simmons, while pursuing her career aspirations as an executive at Def Jam,” Doe's attorney, Kenya Davis, said in a statement.
“She was proud of her contribution to the burgeoning music genre of hip hop, but her hard work and music career were disrupted and derailed by Mr. Simmons, a wealthy and powerful celebrity whose wealth and influence enabled his abusive behavior. not to be disputed. for decades. Now a successful writer and producer in the entertainment industry, Jane Doe's traumatic experiences with Simmons echo those of so many other women he has pursued for decades.”
Over the years, Jane Doe has run into Russell Simmons in various social settings and even ran into him at a yoga studio in Los Angeles around March 2023. Although they didn't talk much in previous meetings, she asked if it was okay to practice side by side of when he reportedly replied in a whisper: “Of course. What, you think I'm going to try on you too?'
With New York's adult survivor statute's “review window” reopening, Jane Doe had an opportunity to file the federal lawsuit in the state where the statute of limitations would otherwise have expired. She sued Simmons for sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.
Russell Simmons has been named as a perpetrator in other sexual assault-related lawsuits in recent years. Since the 2017 allegations, several women have come forward with similar experiences to the Def Jam Records co-founder. He maintained his innocence and claims it they have passed “nine lie detector tests”.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/russell-simmons-sued-rape-jane-doe-def-jam-video-producer-1235606697/
