Russell Simmons starts a #NotMe hashtag to deny multiple accusations of rape and assault

Music mogul Russell Simmons says that people should believe him instead of the 11 women who have accused him of rape, assault, and sexual harassment. Simmons pleaded his innocence in a December 14 Instagram post, which he branded with the hashtag #NotMe, and promised to “prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges.”

Simmons’s post comes in the wake of two recent reports, published by the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times on December 13, in which nine different women made allegations against Simmons. Three of those women told the New York Times that Simmons raped them.

The two reports follow an open letter penned by screenwriter Jenny Lumet in the Hollywood Reporter, in which she recounts a 1991 encounter with Simmons where she says refused to take her to her apartment after offering her a ride home, and ultimately forced himself on her.

Lumet’s letter followed a Los Angeles Times report published in November, in which Keri Claussen Khalighi said that Simmons sexually assaulted her in 1991, when she was 17 and working as a model.

In his Instagram post, Simmons mentioned both Lumet and Claussen Khalighi by name, declaring, “Today, I will focus on ‘The Original Sin’ (Keri Claussen), the claim that created this insane pile on of my #MeToo. Stay tuned! We’ll share information today... And tomorrow the case of Jenny Lumet.”

Simmons went on to insist, “My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable. #NotMe”

Simmons stepped down from his various companies in November after the allegations against him were made public.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple reasons that we can't rely only on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. We can’t do that if we have a paywall.

That’s why we also turn to you, our readers, to help us keep Vox free. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today?

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via