Music mogul investigated
The department opens an investigation into the music mogul amid new accusations.
The New York Police Department has opened an inquiry into Russell Simmons.
Following at least 11 alleged incidents of sexual misconduct involving Russell Simmons — seven of which allegedly happened in New York City — the New York Police Department’s special victims unit has opened an investigation of the embattled music mogul.
A person at the NYPD who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that detectives are in the initial stages of reaching out to women who have alleged that Simmons assaulted them in New York.
Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. He has previously denied the claims of all the women accusing him of misconduct. On Instagram on Thursday he vowed to fight the allegations.
“Today, I begin to properly defend myself. I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges,” he wrote, adding a #NotMe hashtag to his post.
On Nov. 19, The Times published an account from Keri Claussen Khalighi in which the former model said that in 1991 Simmons coerced her to perform oral sex and penetrated her anally against her will in his New York City apartment. A few days later, on Nov. 30, screenwriter Jenny Lumet wrote in the Hollywood Reporter that Simmons had also sexually violated her in 1991 at his New York home.
On Wednesday, The Times published another investigation in which five women accused Simmons of sexual misconduct; two of those alleged incidents, including an alleged rape, occurred in New York.
That same day, the New York Times reported the accounts of four additional women who said Simmons had behaved inappropriately with them; three of the claims alleged rape that took place in New York.
“We were made aware of the alleged crime through the media, and we anticipate there will be more who come forward,” the NYPD source said. “We’re in the process of setting up interviews and if any victims want to come forward, they should contact us.”
Sherri Hines, one of Simmons’ accusers, told The Times that an NYPD detective called her on Thursday to set up an interview for next week.
“I’m appalled that Russell is sitting there calling these women liars and calling me a liar,” Hines said. “I’m not trying to bash him, but you did what you did, and what you did in the dark comes to light.”