Russell Simmons has welcomed movie star pals to his Bali residence for the previous few years. The music mogul beforehand revealed he’s been residing on the Indonesian island since 2018.
Practically each time a celeb pops in on Simmons, the star results in a social media firestorm. Now, Russell Simmons is lastly addressing the backlash his A-list guests face.
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Russell Simmons Directs Message At “Black Folks”
Simmons responded to the continuing backlash in a video assertion. He sat cross-legged in an informal black T-shirt and shorts whereas going through the digital camera. Russell started his clapback, as chronicled by Live Bitez, by addressing his personal neighborhood.
“Black individuals, did you overlook that I acquired 10,000 Black males out of jail? And that I modified the manufacturing facility farming business perpetually. And that I registered extra of you to vote than most likely anyone you understand. And I labored for Black Lives Matter and each motion that’s helped our individuals, all the ladies’s rights, even homosexual rights. Actions that I did a lot work for to allow them to demonize me in such a method that my pals can not go to me with out you attacking them,” he mentioned. “However but you stand by Donald Trump. Knock it off.”
As talked about, in accordance with his personal announcement, Taraji P. Henson was his latest celebrity friend to slip down on him earlier this month. It marked her second publicized go to to see Simmons. Earlier than then, it was Usher.
Russell Says The Concept That He’s “Hiding” Is “Silly” Whereas Persevering with To Tackle Black Folks
It’s been closely speculated that Russell fled america amid sexual assault lawsuits and years-long accusations towards him. Nonetheless, in Might, he cleared the air on his travels to the U.S. throughout an interview with AllHipHop.
“Folks saying that I in some way can’t come house after I’m there on a regular basis wears on you,” Simmons advised the outlet on the time. “It wears on me after some time to maintain listening to the identical narrative, which is fake. I’m at all times in L.A.; I’m at all times in New York and Miami. And I’ve by no means had any purpose to really feel unsafe in America.”
In his current live-streaming session, Russell reiterated that he’s free to maneuver from Bali to america and again. The truth is, he claimed he’ll be in New York subsequent week and admitted he telephones the paparazzi himself each time he visits. “This concept that I’m hiding is silly.” He clarified that he works out of NYC usually however lives in Bali to “heal individuals.”
“My final chapter is to heal individuals and to present them non secular, bodily and psychological rejuvenation. So, simply attacking individuals who go to me, and you haven’t any concept who all have been right here, however what you probably did to some of the individuals who go to me. Are you below some form of tricknowlogy? Are you misplaced? I’m your buddy, Black individuals and I’ve been my complete life a supporter of all of the initiatives that carry you up.”
Swipe beneath to see all of his feedback on the matter.
In line with Billboard, in November 2017, a former worker and a author accused Russell of sexually violating them. By December of that yr, 9 girls stepped ahead in numerous media interviews. 4 alleged Simmons raped them, whereas 5 described sexual misconduct incidents. In January 2018, one in every of his accusers, Jennifer Jarosik, filed a $5 million lawsuit towards him, however it was dismissed by April.
By July 2018, one other lady accused the mogul of raping her in his condominium in November 1990. On the time, he strongly denied the accusation and related previous allegations in a press release to Billboard.
“I’ve respectfully, factually, and comprehensively denied the fees of sexual violence towards me,” he mentioned. “From the very first allegation in October, I’ve supplied statements of witnesses who testified to my innocence some thirty years in the past. Most witnesses from years again had been and stay afraid for his or her standing, their households and their professions. It’s actually true that there have been and stay hurdles to calling out abusers. I’ve mentioned from day one which I help and advocate fact telling and holding abusers totally to account,” Russell Simmons mentioned in 2018.
He moved to Bali in some unspecified time in the future in 2018, however the allegations didn’t decelerate. In November 2020, a choose dropped a $10 million sexual battery lawsuit towards him because of the statute of limitations.
Most not too long ago, in February 2024, a former Def Jam worker sued him in a New York Federal Courtroom for rape and sexual assault within the Nineties, per Billboard.
Russell Simmons ended his current video assertion about his pals by saying: “Knock it off. I like you; I simply don’t need my pals attacked. So simply depart my pals alone; don’t assault them for visiting me.”
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What Do You Suppose Roomies?
