Russell Simmons is demanding a $100M apology from HBO.
The disgraced hip hop mogul has filed a defamation lawsuit against HBO and parent Warner Bros. Discovery over the 2020 documentary On the Record.
The documentary, released in 2020, centered on sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Simmons from numerous women.
“HBO you owe me 100s of millions of dollars,” he claimed on Threads. “I need my bread for all my charities and family members, specifically my children. You know what you did was horrific and malicious. You can’t hide. Ask Oprah or anyone [who’s] ever looked at the evidence [in the lawsuit]. You intentionally suppressed all of it. I want [an] apology and 100 million. […] Time to pay.”
Simmons did not specify why he believes he is owed this figure, an $80M increase from his former lawsuit.
The statute of limitations for defamation actions in New York is one year from the date of first publication. To prevail, Simmons will have to show that HBO is liable for more recent “republication” in international markets.
“Despite voluminous support for Mr. Simmons in the form of credible information, persuasive evidence, witness statements, and calls for further investigation by notable members of the media, politics, and the civil rights movement, the defendants simply disregarded it, and released, and continue to re-release globally, a film that tremendously disparaged and damaged Mr. Simmons with salacious and defamatory accusations that he vehemently denies,” Simmons’ cousel Imran Ansari and co-counsel Carla DiMare said in a written statement.
On The Record, produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January 2020. Shortly thereafter HBO Max acquired the film and released in digitally in May 2020.
Within the first year of the documentary’s release, Simmons successfully won a lawsuit against a woman whose allegations fell beyond the statute of limitations.
“We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their process, and will vigorously defend ourselves against these unfounded allegations,” said a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery.