Russell Simmons is apparently not exempt from all the darkness that’s been a stain on the industry as of late. The former Def Jam mogul was just ordered to pay a whopping $3 million in settlements after he essentially failed to comply with agreements reached with three women who accused him of sexual assault.
According to court documents obtained by Variety, three confessions of judgment were filed on October 2 in New York County Supreme Court on behalf of journalist Sil Lai Abrams, Sherri Abernathy, and Wendy Carolina Franco. That’s a term we haven’t seen much, confessions of judgement but it matters in this case.
Let’s explain a bit … A confession of judgment is a legal tool that allows plaintiffs to collect money more quickly if the defendant defaults on a settlement agreement. Again, that’s a new one and now we know for those legal eagle enthusiasts.
Get this, these confessions were part of confidential settlement agreements the women entered into with Simmons in November 2023.
Simmons had agreed to pay $1,265,000 each to Abrams and Abernathy and $515,000 to Franco. Check this out, these payments were due by October 1, and the plaintiffs have yet to receive them.
What’s more, the specific details of Simmons’ alleged misconduct towards Abernathy and Franco were not disclosed, Abrams had previously accused Simmons of raping her during an encounter in 1994. Horrible and these allegations should be taken seriously.
Together, these accusations and judgements are part of several that have been brought against Simmons, with more than 20 women coming forward over the past decade with similar claims.
Twenty women. As we said the industry darkness is real, ya’ll.
Most recently, in February 2024, a former Def Jam employee, known as Jane Doe, accused Simmons of heinously raping her in the late 1990s. Two days later, another former executive, Drew Dixon, filed a defamation suit after Simmons labeled her a “liar” following her sexual assault allegations. The latter sounds similar to a defamation suit Trump has been ordered to pay for a similar circumstance. That sum is north of $80 million after he defamed E. Jean Carroll, twice!
If you’re aware Simmons, now resides in Bali, and maintains his innocence. He has not admitted to any wrongdoing, he agreed to the settlements with Abrams, Abernathy, and Franco.
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The post Russell Simmons Failed to Pay $3 Million in Settlements Owed to Three Women “For claimant’s alleged personal, physical injuries” appeared first on .