A former Def Jam employee sued Russell Simmons for sexual battery/assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and gender-motivated violence on Tuesday (February 13). The woman, identified as Jane Doe, accused the Def Jam founder of raping her in the ‘90s.
Jane Doe, a film producer, was a senior-level music executive at Def Jam. She claimed her career was derailed by Simmons, who “revealed his true colors,” when he sexually assaulted her.
“One day, Ms. Doe was required to visit Mr. Simmons’s apartment, located in Manhattan, New York, in the Southern District of New York, where he typically held meetings, to have him review a new video for approval,” her lawyer wrote. “Initially, Mr. Simmons began to ‘wrestle’ with Ms. Doe in an attempt to appear playful. The situation escalated into aggression and Mr. Simmons pinned Ms. Doe down on a bed. Ms. Doe repeatedly told Mr. Simmons to get off of her, but he refused. Mr. Simmons proceeded to rape her.”
Jane Doe’s lawyer said she went back to the office after she was raped. She was “forever changed” by the assault, which led to her departure from the record label.
“For weeks she told no one about what happened,” her lawyer explained. “She experienced severe dissociation, depression and anxiety. She no longer went to the Def Jam offices regularly to work and came up with reasons to work from her nearby apartment. A short time later, Ms. Doe gave notice, left Def Jam and left New York altogether to move to California where her family was living. Because of Mr. Simmons, Ms. Doe gave up her high-powered, dream job running a thriving division she had built and a large salary. The pride she had for her role in helping transition a marginalized music genre to one of the most popular and lucrative in the world, was gone.”
Jane Doe quit her job at Def Jam in 1997. The incident haunted her for years as her future interactions with male employers became “fraught with tension.” She suffered panic attacks and struggled with an eating disorder.
The lawsuit noted Jane Doe encountered Simmons in social settings over the years. She did her best to maintain her composure when she was around him. But last year, she ran into him at a yoga class and had a shocking interaction.
“In or around March 2023, Ms. Doe went to a crowded yoga class in Los Angeles and inadvertently parked her yoga mat next to Mr. Simmons after not speaking with him for several years,” her lawyer wrote. “Mr. Simmons said her name and Ms. Doe looked up in shock to see him, asking him, ‘Is it OK if I practice here?’ Mr. Simmons leaned towards her and whispered, ‘Of course. What, do you think I’m gonna try and f### you?’ Ms. Doe was horrified. She realized not only was he unapologetic towards her personally, he did not appreciate that the assault was wrong.”
Jane Doe sought damages for loss of employment, loss of business opportunities, loss of wages and injuries suffered from Simmons’ attack. The lawsuit added to the list of allegations against Simmons, who’s been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 20 women. Simmons denied past allegations.