Russell Simmons Must Face Def Jam Exec’s Rape Lawsuit Despite Living in Indonesia, Judge Rules
Categoria: Musica
Persistence seems to be paying off for the anonymous accuser, who refiled her claims in state court after a prior federal lawsuit was dismissed.
Por Billboard | 17/06/2026
A judge says Russell Simmons can be sued for rape in New York by a former Def Jam executive, even though he now lives in Indonesia. A Tuesday (June 16) order in New York state court, first obtained and reported by Billboard , rejects Simmons’ latest attempt to dismiss the civil lawsuit alleging he raped an anonymous executive in Def Jam’s music video department in the 1990s. Simmons, who has been accused of sexual assault by numerous women over the last decade, has denied all wrongdoing. Related Russell Simmons Lawsuit Claims HBO Ignored Evidence in His Favor in Sexual Assault Documentary 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' Coming to Las Vegas' Sphere Carly Pearce Signs With BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville The former Def Jam employee, suing under the pseudonym Jane Doe, originally brought her claims against Simmons in federal court in 2024. She suffered a setback last year when a federal judge said Simmons, who has lived in Indonesia since 2018, was outside the court’s jurisdiction . She persisted and re-filed the lawsuit in state court — and on Tuesday, Judge Adam Silvera said New York law allows the claims to move forward despite Simmons’ expat status. “The complaint alleges the defendant committed the tort of rape in New York state,” wrote the judge. “[In New York], a court may exercise personal jurisdiction over any non-domiciliary who commits a tortious act within the state, except as to a cause of action for defamation. Therefore, the complaint survives the motion to dismiss stage.” In addition to their arguments about Indonesia, Simmons’ lawyers also argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Jane Doe released all possible claims against the Def Jam founder as part of a severance agreement with the label in 1997. However, Doe’s attorneys say that purported release is a “sham” and that her signature was forged. Judge Silvera determined on Tuesday that there’s a “genuine dispute as to its authenticity,” meaning he’ll need to see evidence before deciding whether the document is enforceable. Related Russell Simmons Hit With Defamation Lawsuit From Alleged Rape Victim for ‘Calling Her A Liar’ Simmons and Doe will now begin discovery, where they will exchange evidence and depose each other’s witnesses. The judge set a court conference for August to hammer out a calendar for this often-lengthy process. Doe’s lawyers at the firm Boies Schiller & Flexner declined to comment on the ruling on Wednesday (June 17). Simmons’ rep did not immediately return a request for comment. Simmons, who founded Def Jam Recordings in 1984 and built a formidable hip-hop empire, first faced sexual abuse allegations in a New York Times investigation from 2017. More women came forward in the 2020 HBO documentary On The Record , and legal claims followed. Doe’s lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for rape claims. She alleged that Simmons pinned her to a bed