Russell Simmons is “vehemently” denying new rape allegations against him.
Two new accusers filed criminal complaints against the hip hop mogul with the New York Police Department last month (December 2017), alleging he raped them in 1983 and 1991, respectively.
One of the accusers, Sherri Hines went public with her claims on TV in America last month. She told cops Simmons raped her at his office in 1983. The second woman, who has not been identified, claims Simmons raped her at his Manhattan home following a date in 1991.
New York Police Department officials are currently “in the process of reviewing” the allegations, but Simmons is now insisting they are not true.
“I vehemently deny all these allegations,” a statement issued by his representative Eric Rose to USA Today reads. “These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual.”
“The current allegations range from the patently untrue to the frivolous and hurtful,” he adds. “The presumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ must not be replaced by ‘Guilty by Accusation’.”
Simmons is also claiming he has been the target of extortion attempts.
“One woman attempted to extort me for $500,000 only to recant her ridiculous claim,” his statement adds. “In recent weeks, some former business, creative and romantic partners have aired grievances as claims I categorically reject. In some of these instances, financial motives and direct contradictory witness testimony has been supplied to the media, which has been completely left out of stories.”
Simmons is currently facing sexual misconduct and/or rape accusations from 14 women. In November, he stepped down from his companies after former model Keri Claussen Khalighi and screenwriter Jenny Lumet accused him of sexual assault.
In December, he was hit with more accusations of sexual misconduct, rape and assault from a group of other women in exposes published in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
The NYPD is reportedly investigating Simmons for at least seven claims of sexual misconduct.
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