After the initial shock about Russell Simmons wore off following the LA Times’ story, it just kept getting worse and worse. The LA Times described how Russell and Brett Ratner were rape-bros who loved nothing more than getting together to assault and rape young women. A few weeks later, The Hollywood Reporter published a devastating first-person account from Jenny Lumet about how Simmons pursued her, manipulated her and raped her in 1991. Now the New York Times has spoken to four women who say that Simmons violated them, assaulted them, and in three cases, raped them.
Four women spoke on the record with The New York Times about a pattern of violent sexual behavior by Russell Simmons from 1988 to 2014. Three of the women say that he raped them. https://t.co/1cFH1oC8xG
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13, 2017
Toni Sallie said Russell Simmons raped her in 1988. To this day, she said, “I don’t feel comfortable in a room full of men.” https://t.co/1cFH1oC8xG [corrected typo] pic.twitter.com/oJdgTWnkh3
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13, 2017
“I didn’t sing for almost a year.” —Tina Baker, a performer who said Russell Simmons raped her in his apartment in the early ’90s, when he was her manager https://t.co/1cFH1oC8xG pic.twitter.com/mLEQ8h2qlV
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13, 2017
Drew Dixon left Stanford in 1992 to join the hip-hop revolution. She says Russell Simmons sexually harassed her repeatedly when she was an executive at Def Jam. She is accusing him of raping her in 1995. https://t.co/1cFH1oC8xG pic.twitter.com/34A6NpBWKc
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13, 2017
When told in detail about the rape accusations and other misconduct, Russell Simmons said: “I will relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence.” https://t.co/1cFH1oC8xG pic.twitter.com/kb9ut3O9U5
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13, 2017
Simmons already stepped down from his businesses following Jenny Lumet’s essay. As for what’s next… I would hope that some of these women could sue him, or that someone, somewhere would have the ability to press criminal charges against him, but the statute of limitations is probably already gone in all of these cases. What’s mainly at stake for him at this point is his legacy. And that’s gone – no one will ever give a sh-t about what he has to say about anything. I feel so sorry for these women. Simmons is a Weinstein-level predator who chose his victims for their social and professional vulnerabilities. He’s a monster.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I imagine realising there are others like you is both horribly sad but also validating, at least in the current climate of needing multiple accusations to be listened to.
This probably has a lot of women wondering if their perpetrators/harassers have a long list of victims as well.
After I was attacked, I knew I wasn’t alone. But I only knew it intellectually. From stats. I rarely talked about what happened and rarely heard my friends’ stories. I’ve never felt less alone or more brave than I have since reading all of these accounts. These women are amazing. They are changing the way the world works.
We believe you. You are not alone. You are brave, magnificent, and inspiring so thank you for sharing your story and sacrifice.
they all must be exposed!!!
He was 34 when he hooked up with a 17 year old Kimora Lee. Indecency is not out of the realm of possibility for this one.
Previous threads on him said it was more like 15 I think? Apparently he also only got supervised visitations with his kids after divorce. No idea if it’s true, can’t be bothered to check tbh, the guy is done either way.
14 when he noticed her and started pursuing her. 17 when they went public. It certainly seemed like they’d already been together a while at that point.
Yes He was grooming her at 14/15. Kimora was 17 when he ask her mother permission to date her and went public. I have always wonder if they were involved when she was 14/15 and why her mother thought relationship was ok.
His response is interesting.
In his mind, all these encounters were consensual. Can’t stop to see the other POV. Can’t stop to understand the other POV. Can’t understand the power imbalance at play. It’s that ‘they let me grab their P coz i can” mentality that doesn’t stop to think that grabbing any part of anyone without their consent is definitely not consensual even if the person laughs it off in the moment.
For someone who publicly sprouts inner-peace, buddhist posturings all the time, including in his resignation letter, he is a black hole of empty.
Agreed.
You summed it up perfectly.
Plus, he keeps saying that he’s not violent. Rape doesn’t have to be violent to be rape. He’s mincing words to keep distance from what he’s done.
YES. Perfectly articulated, LAK.
But doesn’t the article written by Lumet shows that he knew at least some of his encounters weren’t consensual? For example, with Lumet, he locked the car doors to abduct her, as she said to please let her out, struggled to open the door, and she also asked the driver for help.
Russell may still be a sociopath who is incapable of empathy, but in Lumet’s case it was premeditated abduction and entrapment preceding the rape.
I don’t know if what I am saying makes sense. I mean it more like argument in front of a jury -there is no way a woman asking to be released from a locked vehicle can be misconstrued as she said no, but she was laughing.
You are correct. Why trap her in a vehicle if he was so sure she wanted to have sex with him?
He is so full of shit.
Beautifully stated. Astonishing how many of these men think it was consensual because they weren’t violent. Instead they use coercion, intimidation and emotional blackmail to get what they want and in their twisted little minds that means ‘she wanted it.’
I really hope there’s a police investigation, as it appears he’s a serial rapist.
Thank you to these brave woman for coming forward.
I don’t trust the police. They are literally waiting for all of them to pull a Polanski.
Let’s see, what should a credible police force do? Put all these PoS under investigation NOW and do not allow them to leave the country until the trial. No bail.
Gee Russell I wonder if they have yoga and vegan food in prison? Either way, enjoy burning in hell with the knowledge your legacy is destroyed. Bye!
It always stuck with me that kimora got custody and he got supervise visits every eight weeks which he agreed too so i wondered what dirt kimora had on him.
Probably the real age she, Kimora, was when they got involved.
The stories from his victims were some of the most harrowing I’ve read.
This makes his comments to Terry Crews even more clear.
Oh for sure. Right after that email the first person came forward. Because I’m not sympathizing with an abusive @$$ unless I am one
But it screamed “projection” to me and oh look i was right
I just saw him in Vegas in May at the Wynn with 2 young girls and another man of course.
Ewwww
I wonder if the other man was Brett Ratner or did Russell have other raping buddies.
Is it terrible that I read the headline and thought, only four? I know that one is too many and I felt number after reading Jenny Lumet’s piece but so many of these men have accusations against them that number in the 10s and 20s that this seems low in comparison. I’m sure that there are more out there.
No so far the total is 6. The NYT spoke to 4 more women that were assaulted by him after the first two women came forward.
Oh, okay, thanks for the clarification. I’m sure there are more 🙁
9 women have come forward for Russell according to Today Show,90 for Harvey.
“Uncle Russ” has always given off creepy vibes. He and Ratner need to both answer for what they’ve done. I notice his brother, Rev Run, hasn’t said a word yet.
Subtle win: Those Times tweets are light on “allege” and “accuse,” and mostly say the women “said.” That language makes it sound less like they’re covering their butts and more like they believe the women. A small signal of the tide that is changing.
Kaiser, I applaud you for being able to talk about this stuff coherently. If this were my site, there would just be a lot of rage scream sound effects.
Creep!
I had a uncomfortable situation with Russell when I was 18. I walked a fashion show as a model in NYC. Afterwards myself and other models were in a big conference room changing. Russell was a guest and sat front row. He walked into our changing room wth his entourage (all males). No one said anything. There were girls there as young as 14. This wasn’t backstage where press usually is and there’s interviews and photos taken, it was just a big room just for us to change in and keep our personal items. There were girls naked and half naked changing when he barged in and walked around. It make me so angry and I felt so violated, so embarrassed. After all his came out it brought back my memories. I realize today only a pedophile would walk into a room where girls are changing. He didn’t just walk in and walk out when he realized we were changing. He walked in and walked around. I’m glad all this is coming out.
I believe you.
Hearing about other women’s experiences over the last few months has caused many of us to recall experiences we have had that we simply suppressed.
Infuriating
Wow that is disgusting. So sorry you went through that.
This sounds like another case of a man who doesn’t have an accurate definition of consent. In the earlier essay released, he locked a woman in a car despite her verbally saying no, that’s consent? He’s lying to himself
Yeah that is what I said earlier. If you are locking a woman in a car, and she is saying no no no, that is abduction, that is kidnapping, that is not consent.
Of course he is lying to himself. I believe he invested in yoga centers because you have access to masses of women sweating in poses dressed in clothing that gives camel toe.
Definitely! He is such a creep. There was a video on TMZ this year where he hollers at a bunch of young girls trying to get them to come to free yoga at his studio. He has ALWAYS creeped me out