Russell Simmons Steps Down From His Companies Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
The #MeToo movement has unveiled a lot of previously respected men in the industry for the creeps they really are. While the news about former Today Show anchor Matt Lauer definitely shocked us all this week, the hip-hop community proved far from immune to the scandal when several allegations were made against mogul Russell Simmons — the most damning of which came from Jenny Lumet, daughter of famed director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne, who wrote a scathing op-ed accusing Russell of "sexually violating" her. In light of the accusations, Russell has stepped down from his companies. In a statement, he wrote, "I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumet’s recollection about our night together in 1991. I know Jenny and her family and have seen her several times over the years since the evening she described. While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely and humbly apologize.” He later went on to state, "As the corridors of power inevitably make way for a new generation, I don’t want to be a distraction so I am removing myself from the businesses that I founded. The companies will now be run by a new and diverse generation of extraordinary executives who are moving the culture and consciousness forward." Welp. #AndAnotherOne
