Russell Simmons breathes easy as $5 million sexual assault lawsuit against him is dismissed
A $5 million sexual assault lawsuit against Def Jam Records head Russell Simmons has been dropped by a Los Angeles federal court. The case was filed by documentary filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik claiming that the music mogul raped her in her LA home in 2016 after she denied his advance. Jarosik also claimed that the rape had made her feel humiliated and sent her into depression.
TMZ reports that the ruling dismisses the case with prejudice, which means that it cannot be refiled. It has been suggested that an out-of-court settlement might have been made.
Jarosik claimed that she met Simmons when the latter offered to help her produce a documentary in 2006. The original complaint was filed in January this year. Simmons' legal team had responded to the allegation earlier this month denying any guilt on the part of the mogul and claiming that the encounter was consensual.
Simmons also claimed that Jarosik had sent him unsolicited nude photographs and messages expressing her affection for him after the date on which the rape allegedly occurred. His legal team said the complaint was a blatant lie and that Simmons had "only ever tried to help her.” Spokesmen for both Simmons and Jarosik have declined to comment on the ruling so far.
This is only one among many rape accusations filed against Simmons with an anonymous complaint filed last month seeking up to $10 million in damages. So far, at least 10 women have come forward against the music mogul with allegations of rape, assault and sexual harassment.
Def Jam co-founder Drew Dixon is one of the women who have accused Simmons of aggressive sexual harassment, reports the New York Times. Dixon left the record label in 1996, reportedly due to the emotional stress of the mogul's advances. He has responded by denying all allegations and claiming that the $10 million lawsuit is false without question and a "pure work of fiction".