Two accusers file police reports against Russell Simmons over alleged rape

The NYPD is now investigating two of several claims leveled against the hip-hop mogul

Jan 10, 2018

Two more accusers have filed police reports with the NYPD claiming that Russell Simmons raped them.

One of the women, Sherri Hines, told the Los Angeles Times last year that Simmons had raped her in his New York office when she was part of the Mercedes Ladies hip-hop group.

Hines later recalled on Megyn Kelly’s daytime talk show how she was only 17 or 18 when Simmons invited her into his office. She said that she went because she thought he wanted to talk about a record deal.

Instead, she said, she was “pinned down” on his couch and raped.

“The way I felt at the time was…I can’t believe this man just violated me like I was nothing,” she told Kelly.

The second woman has chosen to remain anonymous. According to TMZ, who reported on the police reports, the alleged rape took place in 1991 after the woman and Simmons had gone out on a date.

TMZ reported that the woman said she was 32 when they went back to his Manhattan home together. She claimed that he tried to take off her dress while they were seated on the couch, but she rejected his advances. He then pushed her down and forcibly raped her.

The site also reported that, of the 14 women accusing Simmons of rape, 7 of them are working with the NYPD. Since there is no statute of limitations in New York for rape, even older assaults can still be investigated.

Simmons denies the reports

While Simmons has stepped back from his company, he continues to maintain his innocence and denied that he ever raped anyone.

However, he did stop his #NotMe campaign, which he started in an attempt to clear his name. The campaign received massive backlash for appearing to co-opt the #MeToo movement.

“My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable,” Simmons explained.