update
12:30 PM PT — A spokesperson for Warner Bros./Discovery tells TMZ … “We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their process, and will vigorously defend ourselves against these unfounded allegations.”
9:23 AM PT — Attorneys for Russell Simmons — Imran H. Ansari and Carla DiMare — tell TMZ, “Russell Simmons has filed a claim of defamation in court regarding the film ‘On the Record.’
“Despite voluminous support for Mr. Simmons in the form of credible information, persuasive evidence, witness statements, and calls for further investigation by notable members of the media, politics, and the civil rights movement, the defendants simply disregarded it, and released, and continue to re-release globally, a film that tremendously disparaged and damaged Mr. Simmons with its salacious and defamatory accusations, that he vehemently denies.”
Russell Simmons claims HBO Max ignored mountains of evidence refuting the sexual assault claims against him when it produced a documentary about the cases … and now he’s suing the streamer for $20 million.
According to docs filed in New York, Simmons says the 2020 documentary “On the Record,” “disregarded or suppressed” more than 20 witnesses who refuted the allegations multiple women made against the music mogul.
Simmons says that information was readily available to several bigwigs at WarnerMedia, the parent company of HBO Max, including CEO John Stankey. He claims civil rights leaders and members of Congress urged HBO to review the evidence supporting Simmons’ denials … although he doesn’t name any of them.
One name he does drop in the docs is Oprah Winfrey … claiming she was initially an executive producer of “On the Record,” but she withdrew from the project after “publicly noting inconsistencies in the accusations.”
The Def Jam founder also claims HBO and the doc’s producers “disregarded nine consecutive credible and favorable CIA-grade polygraph” results, which presumably would have supported his side of the story.
Simmons moved out of the U.S. back in 2018, following the allegations, and sold his last U.S. property in 2021. He’s taken up residence in Bali, Indonesia, where he owns a luxury yoga retreat.
He’s suing HBO, Warner Bros. Discovery and the film’s producers for defamation, emotional distress and invasion of privacy … and, yes, he’s seeking at least $20 mil.
