Oprah Winfrey listed as executive producer of doc about Russell Simmons accuser
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After several women have come forward to accuse music exec Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct, it appears Oprah Winfrey will be very much involved in a documentary chronicling one of the accusers.
An upcoming documentary, which was acquired by Apple TV+, is set to chronicle the journey of music executive Drew Dixon, who has accused Simmons of raping her in his Manhattan apartment in 1995. According to the Los Angeles Times, the documentary describes Dixon as “a brilliant former music executive who grapples with whether to go public with her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the music industry. The film is a profound examination of race, gender, class and intersectionality, and the toll assaults take on their victims and society at large.”
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Winfrey is listed as an executive producer of the unnamed documentary along with Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who are listed as directors.
According to the New York Times, Dixon said she had experienced aggressive sexual harassment by Simmons, which included graphic calls about how she aroused him and him asking her to sit on his lap during a staff meeting.
“I was broken,” she told the New York Times in December 2017.
The New York Times also reported that since Dixon came forward, four other women came forward with their own stories of sexual harassment and rape by Simmons during incidents that took place during various time between 1988 and 2014.
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Following the storm of accusations, Simmons released a statement denying the claims: “I vehemently deny all these allegations. These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual. I have enormous respect for the women’s movement worldwide and their struggle for respect, dignity, equality and power.”
He has since stepped down from his various companies and apologized for his comments.
The documentary is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Jan 2020.
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