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Russell Simmons sued over rape allegations
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 26 January 2018
Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons is now facing legal action in relation to an allegation of rape. The lawsuit follows newspaper articles late last year in which a number of women alleged past sexual misconduct by the Def Jam co-founder.
The lawsuit has been filed by filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik, who claims that Simmons assaulted her at his home in LA after she met him there to discuss a documentary she was working on. According to The Blast, the lawsuit claims Simmons initially asked to have sex with Jarosik, but after she refused he became aggressive, pushed her onto his bed and proceeded to rape her.
The legal filing also claims that Simmons “historically thrived on the sexual exploitation of young women trying to break into the entertainment and music industry, in which young female artists are falsely promised opportunities and advancement by experienced and well-established men in power in the industry”.
Jarosik says that although she told some close friends about the incident at the time, she never took any formal action because she “felt somehow it was partially her fault since she was not strong enough to resist”. However, she was motivated to go public about the alleged attack following the other accusations made against Simmons last year.
He continues to deny all the allegations made against him. Responding to the new lawsuit, he told reporters: “I look forward to having my day in court, where, unlike the court of public opinion, I will have the ability to make use of fair processes that ensure that justice will be done and that the full truth will be known”.
Last year, when it emerged New York police were investigating some of the allegations that had been made against him, Simmons wrote on Instagram: “I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges. My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in any way, but instead hold my accusers accountable. Again, this is not a movement against or even in conjunction with #MeToo. It’s just a statement about my innocence”.
