New court papers may explain why Oprah Winfrey left a documentary about sexual abuse claims against Russell Simmons.
Winfrey, who was an executive producer of On the Record, quit in January 2020, weeks before its Sundance premiere.
At the time, she said she “unequivocally believes and supports the women,” but felt she and the filmmakers were not aligned on the film’s creative vision. She later told CBS This Morning there were “some inconsistencies” in the stories. HBO later aired the film.
The new details come from a filing made on Friday. Lawyers for Drew Dixon filed it in a case Simmons brought against Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of HBO.
For those unversed, Dixon is a former Def Jam executive. In 2017, she accused Simmons of raping her in 1995, which Simmons strongly denies.
The filing includes a letter from the filmmakers to Winfrey. In it, they appear to respond to doubts about Dixon that an unnamed friend of Winfrey’s had raised. From the reply, the friend seems to have claimed that Dixon was in a romantic relationship with Simmons at the time.
The friend also seems to have said she wanted fame and money. Dixon denies the relationship. She adds that even if they were true, people in consensual relationships can be raped.
Twelve women have accused Simmons of rape, attempted rape or other sexual misconduct. He has not been charged with a crime and denies wrongdoing.
Dixon has sued him for defamation over an interview in which he said she is lying. She has also sued music mogul L.A. Reid for alleged sexual assault.
