Russell Simmons has spoken up in favour of #MeToo movement, saying it has “ inspired me to look beyond my personal scenario”. The hip-hop mogul is facing at least 13 accusations of sexual harassment and rape, and is the subject of a New York City police department special victims unit investigation.
Simmons has repeatedly denied accusations against him, including in court documents filed on 4 April, in which he denied raping film-maker Jennifer Jarosik, who attempted to sue him for $5m (£3.68m) – the lawsuit was later dismissed. In a statement posted to his Instagram account as the caption to an image that stated, “Shoutout to black women just because”, Simmons reiterated this position, but accepted the net benefits of the #MeToo movement: “A little blood on my shoulders so that my daughters see a better world is worth it.”
He paid tribute to black women, who “have bared [sic] the biggest burden”, and the “unequal” treatment of women “of ALL RACES and RELIGONS [sic]”, and suggested that “without guidance from the feminine forces then men will destroy the planet”.
At least seven women have accused Simmons of sexual assault, including fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone, and at least six women have accused him of rape. In November 2017, Simmons stepped down from his role in Def Jam records, the label he cofounded with Rick Rubin, along with his yoga lifestyle brand, other media properties and CNNMoney. HBO removed his name from All Def Comedy, a series he created to showcase up-and-coming comedians.
In response to allegations of sexual assault from screenwriter Jenny Lumet last November, Simmons wrote: “While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely apologise.”
Following four further accusations of rape in December 2017, Simmons posted another now-deleted statement to Instagram, pledging to clear his name: “Today, I begin to properly defend myself. I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges,” Simmons posted, beneath an image that read #NOTME.
Simmons has also used his Instagram account to ask people to help rapper Kanye West, who has asserted, among other claims, that slavery “sounds like a choice”. West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, have said that speculation about West’s mental health is invasive.
Simmons suggested West was “unravelling in public”, and called on the hip-hop community to support him: “I refuse to believe a black man who supports black empowerment but now says ‘Slavery was a choice’ is operating with a healthy state of mind,” Simmons wrote.
- This article was updated on Friday 4 May to acknowledge that Jarosik’s lawsuit against Simmons was dismissed.