Russell Simmons has launched a lawsuit against HBO for $20 million over the release of the 2020 documentary, On The Record, which detailed a number of he mogul’s sexual assault allegations. Simmons also named the filmmakers behind the production of the documentary.
Russell Simmons, 67, filed the lawsuit in a Manhattan court on Tuesday (June 3), naming HBO and On The Record direcctors, Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick as reported by Deadline. In the summons that was filed in court, Simmons’ lawyer Imran Ansari laid out their offensive move.
“Despite voluminous support for Mr Simmons in the form of credible information, persuasive evidence, witness statements, and calls for further investigation by notable members of the media, politics, and the civil rights movement, the defendants simply disregarded it, and released, and continue to re-release globally, a film that tremendously disparaged and damaged Mr Simmons with salacious and defamatory accusations that he vehemently denies,” Ansari and co-counsel Carla DiMare shared in a statement.
Although the statute of limitations for defamation has long since expired, Simmons and his team are hoping to move things in their favor because the documentary was shown in the global market, thus resetting the timeline.
HBO sidestepped the lawsuit, calling it unfounded according to Deadline‘s report.
“We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their process, and will vigorously defend ourselves against these unfounded allegations,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery shared with the outlet.
Russell Simmons’ team claims that evidence could potentially alter the timeline of events and give new weight to the Def Jam Records co-founder’s stance that the dozens of women who allege that he assaulted them are selling a falsehood.
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Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty
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