$5 million sexual assault lawsuit against Russell Simmons dismissed
Former Def Jam mogul
Russell Simmons will no longer face a $5 million lawsuit for sexual assault.
Earlier today, a U.S. district court judge in California dismissed the lawsuit filed in January by filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik, who alleged that Simmons raped her.
"Mr. Simmons is hereby dismissed with prejudice from this action in its entirety including all claims asserted by Ms. Jarosik in the operative complaint," the stipulation to the lawsuit states. Both parties agreed to the dismissal, according to the stipulation, which added that both parties were responsible for their own attorneys' fees.
In her lawsuit, Jarosik claimed Simmons "got aggressive" and sexually assaulted her after inviting her to his home in 2016.
When Jarosik arrived, Simmons asked her "to have sex, whereupon she responded, 'No,'" according to the lawsuit. The two then got into a struggle and Jarosik said she eventually fell to the floor and hit her head, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit then alleges Simmons "pounced on her while she was still in shock and fear, and proceeded to rape her."
In a legal rebuttal filed earlier this month, Simmons disputed those claims, saying they met in 2006 and maintained a "casual acquaintance" over the years.
"On the occasions when Ms. Jarosik and Mr. Simmons had sex, it was with Ms. Jarosik's full consent," the court filing states. "In the wake of the #MeToo movement, Ms. Jarosik alleged that Mr. Simmons raped her, but in exchange for funding her film project, she would help him restore his 'image' with women."
Simmons, who said Jarosik would often ask for his assistance with her "nascent entertainment projects including a documentary, reality television shows and children's books," also presented text messages and emails allegedly sent from Jarosik, according to the rebuttal.
Jarosik is one of at least 10 women who have accused Simmons of sexual misconduct. He has strongly denied all of the accusations.
In November 2017, Simmons, the founder of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings and CEO of Rush Communications, announced that he was stepping away from his companies to "commit myself to continuing my personal growth, spiritual learning and above all to listening."
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/m...t-russell-simmons-dismissed/story?id=54727727
