(AllHipHop News) A new documentary detailing the alleged sexual assault accusations against Russell Simmons is set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. Three accusers that were interviewed for the film appeared on CBS This Morning to talk about the allegations.
Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams, and Alexia Norton Jones told CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller that Simmons violently raped each of them. The 62-year-old Def Jam co-founder has denied any wrongdoing with the women and claimed all sexual relationships were consensual.
“I literally worked for him. He was ordering me a car, and he told me to come upstairs and pick up a demo. I thought I would be in his apartment for five total minutes. That’s it,” said Dixon about the alleged attack in 1995. “He showed up naked, wearing a condom, and tackled me to his bed while I screamed and fought and said, ‘No,’ and cried. That’s rape.”
Abrams admitted she dated Simmons before he allegedly raped her in 1994. She said, “Yes, we had a sexual relationship, but he cannot address the fact that I was too drunk to consent, and that the next day I called him up, screaming. And I attempted suicide. He knew. And I told him why, that he had ruined my life, and that I had nothing.”
Oprah Winfrey was originally attached to the untitled documentary as part of a deal with Apple TV Plus. However, the billionaire media mogul backed out of serving as an executive producer for the film, and the streaming service is no longer distributing the doc.
“First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision,” said Winfrey in a statement.
