Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam Records, has denied new sexual harassment allegations from four women, including three who claim they were raped by the hip-hop mogul.
"I vehemently deny all these allegations. These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual,” Simmons said in a statement to ABC News.
The new allegations came to light in a new report published by the New York Times. In the article, Drew Dixon, a former Def Jam employee, accused Simmons of sexual harassment in the workplace, including his asking her to sit on her lap and exposing himself to her. She also alleged that Simmons raped her at his Manhattan apartment.
Through his attorney, Simmons conceded that he had engaged in “inappropriate conduct” with Dixon while she was employed at Def Jam.
Toni Sallie, music journalist for the trade magazine Black Radio Exclusive, also alleged that she was raped by Simmons. Sallie told the New York Times that Simmons raped her at his apartment in 1988.
Sallie told the Times that she and Simmons had briefly dated after she met the mogul on an assignment, but said that she broke it off after a few dates. She then claims that Simmons invited her to his apartment for a party, but when she arrived, she found herself alone with Simmons. “He pushed me on the bed and jumped on top of me, and physically attacked me,” Sallie told the Times. “We were fighting. I said no.”
Through his attorney, Simmons conceded that he dated Sallie but denied any non-consensual sex, the Times reported.
A third woman, Tina Baker, also alleged that she was raped by Simmons. Baker, who was a singer known as Tina B at the time, claimed she met Simmons at a nightclub in late 1990 or early 1991 and said she accompanied him back to his apartment where she claims he forced himself on her.
“It all got really ugly, pretty fast,” Baker told the New York Times. She claims that as soon as they arrived at his apartment, Simmons started pouring drinks and trying to kiss her. She resisted and asserted that he pinned her down, urging her not to resist. “I did nothing, I shut my eyes and waited for it to end,” she told the publication.
Simmons, through his lawyer, told the Times that he had “no recollection of ever having any sexual relations with Ms. Baker.”
A fourth woman, Christina Moore, alleged that Simmons groped her after she and a friend met him in Miami at Art Basel in 2014. Moore claimed to the Times that she and her friend accompanied Simmons back to his hotel room, where he pushed her against a column in the room and ran “hands all over my body, up and down.” Simmons, through his attorney, told the Times that he recalled meeting Moore and her friend, but denied any misconduct.
Allegations of sexual misconduct by Simmons first surfaced at the end of November, prompting the rap mogul to announce that he was stepping down from leadership roles at his companies. [via CelebrityAccess]
Simmons Vows To Defend Himself
On Thursday, Simmons deleted his Twitter account and posted a denial on Instagram. “Today, I begin to properly defend myself,” he wrote. “I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges. Today, I will focus on ‘The Original Sin’ (Keri Claussen), the claim that created this insane pile on of my #MeToo. Stay tuned! We’ll share evidence today… And tomorrow the case of Jenny Lumet. My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold the accusers accountable. #NotMe.”
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