Oprah Winfrey is reportedly stepping down from her role as executive producer for an upcoming documentary about Russell Simmons. According to TMZ, the talk show legend is not only distancing herself from the project but also blocking its path to Apple TV+.
“I have decided that I will no longer be executive producer on The Untitled Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Documentary and it will not air on Apple TV+,” she reportedly said.”First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard.”
The doc was centered around sexual assault accuser Drew Dixon, who claims the Def Jam Recordings co-founder raped her in his New York City apartment in 1995. She explained more work is needed on the doc to “illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision.”
She added she “will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.”
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Last month, Simmons penned a lengthy Instagram post about the impending documentary and insisted he was innocent. He revealed he was also hurt Oprah would even consider doing the project due to the close friendship they’ve developed over the years.
“I want to stay out of the mud,” he told HipHopDX at the time. “I love Oprah. I’m disappointed.”
Winfrey caught heat from 50 Cent for signing up on the project. He wondered why she only appeared to target black men.
“I don’t understand why Oprah is going after black men,” he captioned an Instagram post. “No Harvey Weinstein, No Epstein, just Michael Jackson and Russell Simmons. this shit is sad. Gale hit R Kelly with the death blow documentary. Every time I hear Micheal Jackson I don’t know whether to dance or think about the little boys butts. These documentary’s are publicly convicting their targets, it makes them guilty till proven innocent.”
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[This article has been updated. The following was published on December 13, 2019.]
Russell Simmons has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show five times over the years and as a result, the two moguls developed a “very close” relationship, as Simmons explains to HipHopDX.
So, when the news broke the illustrious talk show host was producing a documentary that focuses on sexual assault accuser Drew Dixon, it understandably blinded-sided the Def Jam Recordings co-founder. “I want to stay out of the mud,” he tells DX. “I love Oprah. I’m disappointed.”
On Friday (December 13), Simmons shared a photo of himself sitting with Oprah and questioned why she believes there’s any truth to the allegations. At the same time, he admitted to being a “womanizer” back in the day.
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“Dearest OPRAH, you have been a shining light to my family and my community,” he began. “Contributing so much to my life that I couldn’t list a fraction of it in this blog. I have given you the gift of meditation and the groundbreaking book ”THE POWER OF NOW “we bonded to say the least. This is why it’s so troubling that you choose me to single out in your recent documentary. [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
“I have already admitted to being a playboy more (appropriately titled today ‘womanizer’) sleeping with and putting myself in more compromising situations than almost any man I know. Not 8 or 14 thousand like Warren Beatty or Wilt Chamberlain, but still an embarrassing number. So many that some could reinterpret or reimagine a different recollection of the same experiences.”
Simmons then reminds Oprah he took — and passed — nine lie detector tests for his daughters Aoki Lee and Ming Lee.
“Please note that ur producers said that this upcoming doc was to focus ONLY on 3 hand chosen women,” he continued. “I have refused to get in the mud with any accusers, but let’s acknowledge what i have shared. I have taken and passed nine 3-hour lie detector tests (taken for my daughters), that these stories have been passed on by CNN, NBC, BUZZFEED, NY POST, NY MAG, AND OTHERS. Now that you have reviewed the facts and you SHOULD have learned what I know; that these stories are UNUSABLE and that ‘hurt people hurt people.'”
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He also insists he never had to use force to have sex with any women.
“Today I received a call from an old girlfriend from the early 1980s which means that they are using my words/evidence against me and their COMMITMENT / (all of the claims are 25 to 40 years old),” he concluded. “It is impossible to prove what happened 40 years ago, but in my case proof exists of what didn’t happen, mostly signed letters from their own parents, siblings, roommates, band members, interns, and in the case of 2 of your 3 accusers, their own words in their books.
“Shocking how many people have misused this important powerful revolution for relevance and money. Maybe you should name your documentary ‘FLAVOR OF LOVE!?’ In closing, I am guilty of exploiting, supporting, and making the soundtrack for a grossly unequal society, but i have never been violent or forced myself on anyone.”
Simmons adds, “Still I am here to help support a necessary shift in power and consciousness. Let us get to work on uplifting humanity and put this moment and old narrative behind.”
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50 Cent, who evidently caught wind of Simmons’ Instagram post, shared a similar photo of Simmons with Oprah and questioned why she seemed to only target black men — in true 50 Cent fashion.
“I don’t understand why Oprah is going after black men,” he captioned the post. “No Harvey Weinstein, No Epstein, just Michael Jackson and Russell Simmons. this shit is sad. Gale hit R Kelly with the death blow documentary. Every time I hear Micheal Jackson I don’t know whether to dance or think about the little boys butts. These documentary’s are publicly convicting their targets, it makes them guilty till proven innocent.”
Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times reported Oprah is serving as the executive producer for a new documentary focusing on “a brilliant former music executive who grapples with whether to go public with her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the music industry.”
The film reportedly centers on Dixon who accused Simmons of raping her in his Manhattan apartment in 1995.
