Kimora Lee Simmons has broken her silence on the mounting number of accusations of sexual assault against her ex-husband Russell Simmons, but fell short of denying them herself.
“I add my voice to the chorus of those speaking out against harassment and violence in all its forms,” she began an Instagram post, posted on Thursday night.
“I have known Russell for over 25 years. We were close friends, married, divorced and have remained friends, co-parents and partners throughout it all,” she said. “These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time. I have known him to be a caring and supportive father and someone who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities.”
Simmons’ ex-wife, a model and fashion designer, went on to recognize the “pivotal moment” in which society now sits and where “men are being held accountable for their abuse of power and denigrating behavior toward women in all spheres.”
She said that she believes “no one should ever be shamed or portrayed as an unreliable witness to their own experience for speaking up,” and added “Nor should anyone be condemned legally without due process and a fair trial.”
“My sincere hope is that anyone faced with harassment or assault reports it to their organization and/or law enforcement, though I understand that in many cases, this may not be possible,” she concluded. “I remain committed as always to fighting injustice and inequity in all its forms. God bless.”
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Simmons is facing a $5 million lawsuit from Jennifer Jarosik, who says he raped her in August 2016 at his Los Angeles home. The suit alleges sexual assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
This isn’t the first time Simmons has been accused of sexual misconduct: In a New York Times piece published in December, Drew Dixon, Tina Baker and Toni Sallie accused the the Def Jam Records co-founder of rape. In the piece, Dixon (a former Def Jam Records employee), Sallie (a former music journalist) and Baker (a performer) say Simmons raped them in separate incidents that spanned from 1988 to 2014. Those three women joined two others who have gone on the record with sexual misconduct accusations against Simmons.
“Let me be crystal clear and very direct. Abusing women in any way shape or form violates the very core of my being,” Simmons said in a statement after the Times article was published. “I have always spoken out regarding my life experiences, women’s issues and the need to bring a faster and more decisive shift in the collective consciousness that will help bring about true women’s equality.
“More than anything, I want my daughters to live in a more equal world and a world where they will not become victims of sexual harassment,” he added.
Simmons has since stepped down from his businesses, but in December, he announced he was starting a social media campaign called #NotMe in an effort to “prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges.” He said in an Instagram post that his intention with this campaign was “not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable.” Page Six has since reported that Simmons was canceling the campaign, saying that it was “time for women to speak.”