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Music mogul Russell Simmons is currently facing legal charges for alleged s*xual misconduct. However, he denied all rumors suggesting he has been staying outside the United States to avoid legal consequences. Simmons currently resides in Bali.
As per AllHipHop, in a declaration filed on Wednesday (May 22), Simmons cleared his stance about his living situation and denied claims of him not residing in the US to avoid "legal woes." He explained that he has been residing in Bali since 2018 and does not intend to return to the US. He said:
“I am not physically present in New York and I do not have an intention to live in New York in the future. I own no property in the United States. I have been living in #Bali since 2018, which is where I intend to remain.”
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Simmons's clarifications come in light of AllHipHop's report regarding an alleged court filing about his decision to live in Bali. The report claimed that he was avoiding residing or visiting America due to the recent accusations of s*xual misconduct in his name.
The Def-Jam founder was quick to respond to the report on his Instagram story (automatically deleted after 24 hours), after which he spoke to AllHipHop directly to clarify his stance in the aforementioned interview.
Russell Simmons revealed details about his previous and current residency
Speaking further to AllHipHop executive Chuck Creekmur, Russell Simmons noted that he had been a resident of California for nine years before he moved to Bali. He also mentioned that he currently pays California non-resident taxes. He said:
"For at least nine years before I moved to Bali, I lived in California. As a California resident, I paid California resident taxes in the years immediately prior to moving to Bali. Currently, I pay California non-resident state taxes.”
In the same interview, the Def Jam co-founder said he had no reason to feel unsafe in America and has been there multiple times. He noted:
“People saying that I somehow can’t come home when I’m there all the time wears on you. It wears on me after a while to keep hearing the same narrative, which is false. I’m always in L.A., I’m always in New York and Miami. And I’ve never had any reason to feel unsafe in America.”
The aforementioned interview came after Simmons lashed out on his now-deleted Instagram stories about the report published by AllHipHop about his reasons for staying outside the United States.
In response to the report, Russell Simmons took to Instagram to clarify his stance about his residence. He denied the headlines which suggested he was living in Bali to avoid "legal woes".
He wrote in his now-unavailable Instagram story (quoted by Hot97):
“Knock it off w/ the headlines. I’m in America all the time. For the last 7 years, I have hosted parties for openings, including the office for Hip Hop 50. I have an office on Wilshire Blvd (which I hosted a party for its launch). I stay at the 4 Seasons Hotel on Doheny. No one is or has ever been hiding.”
The hip hop executive also name-dropped Chuck Creekmur, claiming he had seen Simmons in the US multiple times. He said (via Hot97):
"Chuck you have seen me tons of times in America ni**a.”
Russell Simmons is facing multiple charges for alleged s*xual assault
The controversy regarding Russell Simmons's current residence arises in light of the music mogul facing multiple alleged s*xual assault charges. The latest charge faced by the hip hop executive was lodged by an anonymous former Def Jam employee, known by the alias 'Jane Doe'.
According to AllHipHop, Doe is reportedly suing Simmons for alleged s*xual assault. She has also accused Simmons of forging her signature on a 1990s document. The document was reportedly related to her resignation from Def Jam, as reported by the publication.
As per Doe, even if the document were to be genuine, it would not invalidate her lawsuit against the executive charging him with r*pe and s*xual assault. The document reportedly only pertains to minor financial issues and her exit from Def Jam, noted Hot97.
Russell Simmons has denied Doe's accusations. As per AllHipHop, he reportedly mentioned that music executive Lyor Cohen has also confirmed that the signature was authentic. The lawsuit is still ongoing but Simmons shows no indication of returning to the US.
Russell Simmons has been accused multiple times
Russell Simmons has also faced multiple other accusations of alleged s*xual assault in the past. In a 2017 report by The Los Angeles Times, Keri Claussen Khalighi, alleged that the hip hop executive and director Brett Ratner allegedly harassed her in a hotel room when she was 17. Simmons denied all charges, claiming any interaction he had with the model was consensual.
In the same year, Jenny Lumet wrote a column for The Reporter accusing Russell Simmons of s*xually violating her. Multiple other women followed suit, including Sherri Hines and Toni Sallie, who accused Simmons of assault.
According to Billboard, in February 2024, another former Def Jam executive, Drew Dixon, filed a lawsuit against Simmons for alleged defamation. She claimed Simmons engaged in a “malicious campaign to discredit” her allegations of s*xual harassment.
In March 2024, he faced Jane Doe's lawsuit accusing Russell Simmons of r*pe and s*xual misconduct for which he is currently facing charges.
