Starting from an article written by the LA Times, Russell Simmons is the latest person to be accused of sexual misconduct, and this includes more allegations against Brett Ratner as well.
Simmons’ accuser is named Keri Claussen Khalighi. At the time, she was a 17-year-old fashion model from Nebraska when she met Ratner and Simmons at a music video casting call. They later took Khalighi to dinner one night in 1991 at Mr. Chow in New York, and then back to Simmons’ apartment to show her a music video they’d been working on.
Quickly, Simmons began making aggressive sexual advances, yanking off her clothes, Khalighi said.
“I looked over at Brett and said ‘help me’ and I’ll never forget the look on his face,” she recalled. “In that moment, the realization fell on me that they were in it together.”
Khalighi said that Simmons, who was then about twice her age, tried to force her to have intercourse. “I fought it wildly,” she said. He eventually relented and coerced her to perform oral sex, she alleged. “I guess I just acquiesced.” Ratner, meanwhile, “just sat there and watched,” she said.
Simmons had responded to the claims, claiming they are false, and the everything that occurred was consensual.
“Everything that occurred between Keri and me occurred with her full consent and participation,” he responded to the claims. He says Khalighi’s allegation “does a disservice to those who have been true victims of sexual harassment.” He added, “Let me be crystal clear and very direct. Abusing women in any way shape or form violates the very core of my being.”
Khalighi claims she’s run into Simmons on multiple occasions since then, and he’s been remorseful about the incident – which he also denies.
Terry Crews has since posted an email that Simmons sent hime in regards to coming forward with his own sexual misconduct assaulter, where Simmons asked Res to give the assaulter a pass.
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