Russell Simmons Sexual Assault Accuser Questions His “Retirement” Claims
Russell Simmons has claimed that he is simply enjoying “retirement” in Indonesia, but one of his accusers is calling bullsh*t. In legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone, a Jane Doe is calling out the mogul for allegedly fleeing the country amid allegations against him.
Doe’s documents are asking the judge to refuse Simmons’ assertion that he shouldn’t be able to be sued in New York City because he is now “stateless” after “retiring” to the Asian country. Legal authorities from Indonesia previously granted the Def Jam businessman a retirement visa.
“Defendant is running from the court’s jurisdiction to avoid taking accountability for his actions,” the new filing states. Jane Doe’s documents plead with the court that they should have “serious doubt” that Simmons has no more business in the United States and look into the “veracity” of his story.
Jane Doe first sued Simmons in February, claiming that the man raped her in the 90s in his New York apartment. A “limited” deposition for the case went down in September, with Doe claiming that Simmons partook in the hearing remotely.
During this hearing, Simmons is said to have told the court that he still has and nurtures business ties to New York City—a claim that contradicts his statement that he is now “stateless.” She also stated that he admitted that he is currently paying for a lease on a Manhattan apartment while retaining an office for his Russell Simmons TV business.
Jane Doe’s new filing claimed she conducted her own “investigation” into Simmons’ TV business and found that he still “has an ownership stake in the property.” Doe states that her findings yielded proof that he maintains involvement with a media company named Gushcloud.
“Any purported retirement visa requires recertification every few years that one is, in fact, retired. Building an empire and being retired are mutually exclusive,” the legal document stated.
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