Russell Simmons sues HBO for defamation over On The Record documentary

“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 salacious and defamatory accusations that he vehemently denies,” Ansari and co-counsel Carla DiMare wrote in a statement to Variety. 

Simmons’ filing claims that his representatives provided this evidence to HBO CEO Casey Bloys and WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey at the time. “Defendants were requested to review this evidence and information by multiple luminaries in media and politics, including but not limited to, civil rights leaders and members of Congress, and other high-profile black leaders; and board members within the Defendant corporation(s) itself,” it reads. Now, Simmons’ legal team is seeking both $20 million in damages and “immediate removal” of the film from all HBO platforms.

Variety notes that Simmons’ suit may face some difficulty from New York’s statute of limitations for defamation, which expires one year from the date of first publication. To win, Simmons’ lawyers will have to prove that HBO is also liable for more recent “republication” of the doc overseas.

More than 20 women have accused Simmons of sexual misconduct over the years, including Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams, and Sheri Sher, all of whom are featured in the documentary. “It was a quid pro quo: ‘I have power, you want access, sleep with me—or I’m going to be really mean to you the next day,” Dixon told The New York Times in 2017 of her experience with Simmons. “And there will be consequences.”