Music mogul Russell Simmons, who has been besieged by accusations of rape by multiple women, vowed Thursday to clear his name.
In an Instagram post, Simmons said that he will “properly defend myself” and “prove without any doubt” that the accusations against him are false.
“Today, I begin to properly defend myself. I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges. Today, I will focus on ‘The Original Sin’ (Keri Claussen), the claim that created this insane pile on of my #MeToo,” Simmons wrote, referring to former model Keri Claussen Khalighi, who Simmons is accused of sexually assaulting when she was 17. Simmons has previously said that his encounter with the former model was “completely consensual.”
Since that accusation, Simmons has also been accused of sexual misconduct by “Rachel Getting Married” screenwriter Jenny Lumet.
On Wednesday, the New York Times published a report in which former Def Jam Records employee Drew Dixon, former music journalist Toni Sallie and performer Tina Baker accused Simmons of raping them.
In a statement to the Times, Simmons denied the trio’s accusations, saying, “I vehemently deny all these allegations. These horrific accusations have shocked me to my core and all of my relations have been consensual.”
In Thursday’s social-media missive, Simmons said that he will focus on Lumet’s accusation on Friday.
“Stay tuned! We’ll share information today… And tomorrow the case of Jenny Lumet. My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable,” Simmons wrote. “#NotMe Again, this is not a movement against or even in conjunction with #Metoo . It’s just a statement about my innocence.”
Read the full message below.