Earlier this week, Russell Simmons was been hit with another disturbing sexual assault allegation.
This time around, a woman by the name of Sil Lai Abrams has filed a lawsuit against the Def Jam co-founder, accusing him of raping her while she was a Def Jam assistant in 1994.
However, Simmons’ own team had long denied any rape and the alleged conversation that took place between between Abrams and the music mogul years later. Simmons’ attorney Patricia Glaser came forward, asserting that Abrams’ encounter with Russell Simmons in 1994 was consensual and has been verified as such under oath.
“The Hollywood Reporter published an article despite material facts and witness statements shared with them that contradict Ms. Abrams’ account, all of which were omitted from the story,” says Glaser. “These documents include a declaration, sworn under oath, by someone who spoke with Ms. Abrams the day after her sexual encounter with Mr. Simmons and described it as consensual. Ms. Abrams’ account of the evening in her own book also contradicts multiple accusations printed by The Hollywood Reporter. After reporting on Ms. Abrams’ account for nearly a year, including the examination of all the facts, MSNBC and New York magazine declined to pursue the story. NBC said its news department had enlisted seasoned investigative journalists to assist Reid and that certain aspects of the story did not meet its standards. It's disappointing, to say the least, that THR didn’t adhere to the same standards.”
Read the original story here.