Foxy Brown writes open letter supporting Russell Simmons amidst sexual misconduct allegations
Th rapper signed to Simmons' Def Jam records as a teenager.
Foxy Brown took to Instagram to make it clear that she's standing by Russell Simmons amidst the sexual misconduct allegations against him.
While Russell Simmons has been besieged by sexual misconduct allegations for the past several months, Foxy Brown took to Instagram to make it clear that she’s standing by him.
The “Ill Na Na” rapper wrote that she was penning the letter to attest “to the character of the man who she says saved her life as a teenager. She signed to Def Jam Records in the Spring of 1996, just months before her 18th birthday.
“Salaciousness and scandal garners headlines,” she wrote. “Cowards cower, during times of tumult.”
“But as inarguably, Russell’s biggest Def Jam female protege, (who birthed an era of overtly evocative stars), the man I’ve known and loved, was nothing more than the respectful, respected, gentleman and GODFATHER OF HIP-HOP we’ve all adored.”
She closed out the letter with her “staunch support” and promised that she was praying for Simmons.
The accusations
In January, two accusers 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 second woman, excusing Russell Simmons of assault, has chosen to remain anonymous. According to TMZ, who first reported on the police reports, the alleged rape took place in 1991 after the woman and the music mogul had gone out on a date.
TMZ also reported that, of the 14 women accusing Russell Simmons of rape, seven of them are working with the NYPD. There is no statute of limitations in New York for rape.
-Russell Simmons dropped from Oprah’s spiritual self-help book-
Simmons denies the allegations
Russell Simmons has stepped down from running the day-to-day operations of his company and has continued to maintain his innocence.
He even used the hashtag #NotMe in a social media post claiming he was using it to clear his name. The post 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,” Russell Simmons explained.
As for support, Kimora Lee Simmons is standing by her ex-husband, Russell Simmons, in the face of multiple accusations of rape and sexual assault.
A TMZ photographer caught up with Kimora last month to ask her about the allegations.
Kimora, holding her youngest son, Wolfe Lee, told the press, “I love him. We’re friends.”
And when pressed specifically on whether she believes he’s innocent, she said, “Yeah, I do.”
Most recently, Simmons announced on his Instagram page that he is “closed for spiritual maintenance.”
