Russell Simmons has launched a lawsuit in opposition to HBO for $20 million over the discharge of the 2020 documentary, On The Document, which detailed quite a lot of he mogul’s sexual assault allegations. Simmons additionally named the filmmakers behind the manufacturing of the documentary.
Russell Simmons, 67, filed the lawsuit in a Manhattan court docket on Tuesday (June 3), naming HBO and On The Document direcctors, Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick as reported by Deadline. Within the summons that was filed in court docket, Simmons’ lawyer Imran Ansari laid out their offensive transfer.
“Regardless of voluminous help for Mr Simmons within the type of credible data, persuasive proof, witness statements, and requires additional investigation by notable members of the media, politics, and the civil rights motion, the defendants merely disregarded it, and launched, and proceed to re-release globally, a movie that tremendously disparaged and broken Mr Simmons with salacious and defamatory accusations that he vehemently denies,” Ansari and co-counsel Carla DiMare shared in a press release.
Though the statute of limitations for defamation has lengthy since expired, Simmons and his staff are hoping to maneuver issues of their favor as a result of the documentary was proven within the international market, thus resetting the timeline.
HBO sidestepped the lawsuit, calling it unfounded in response to Deadline‘s report.
“We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their course of, and can vigorously defend ourselves in opposition to these unfounded allegations,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery shared with the outlet.
Russell Simmons’ staff claims that proof might doubtlessly alter the timeline of occasions and provides new weight to the Def Jam Information co-founder’s stance that the handfuls of ladies who allege that he assaulted them are promoting a falsehood.
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Photograph: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty
