Russell Simmons Fails To Pay Over $3 Million in Settlements to Sexual Assault Accusers: Report
Former Def Jam boss Russell Simmons is under fire following reports of his failure to pay millions in legal fees related to sexual assault claims made by two women.
The entrepreneur and self-help guru reportedly owes his victims a whopping $3 million in settlement agreements they entered into with Simmons stemming back to 2023.
The two women in question, Toni Sallie and Alexia Norton Jones, reportedly filed confessions of judgement last week in New York County Supreme Court.
According to CourtHouse News, recent court records show that Simmons owes both women, including Jones in the amount of $200,000 and Sallie a whopping $3 million.
Sallie's case stems from a filing submitted in November 2023, for which she claims Simmons has only paid $60,000. The victim is seeking the remaining $2.94 million in addition to 20% annual interest on the amount accruing since February 2024, per the legal hub.
Sallie claims she met Simmons as a journalist back in 1987 before entertaining a romantic relationship. Despite separating, the two remained cordial until the following year when Simmons allegedly invited her to a party at his place, however she arrived at his empty New York apartment where he allegedly raped her.
"He pushed me on the bed and jumped on top of me, and physically attacked me," she told The New York Times. "We were fighting. I said no," she stated, per CourtHouse News.
Jones entered her and Simmons' settlement agreement back in April 2023, and reportedly did so anonymously. Jones is referred to as Jane Doe throughout the document, as Simmons is referred to as John Roe.
Although Jones' filing doesn't name sexual assault, the documents detail the "alleged personal physical injuries and/or physical sickness, as well as ... attendant emotional distress that Doe claims she has suffered," per the outlet.
Although the record exec's legal team has yet to respond, Simmons has slammed rumors in the past that he fled to Bali, Indonesia, in order to avoid alleged sex crimes.
"People saying that I somehow can't come home when I'm there all the time wears on you," Simmons told All Hip Hop. "It wears on me after a while to keep hearing the same narrative, which is false. I'm always in L.A., I'm always in New York and Miami. And I've never had any reason to feel unsafe in America."
Russell Simmons has publicly denied all accusations against him.
