Oprah Winfrey spoke with CBS This Morning on Tuesday, where she addressed her controversial decision to distance herself from the damning documentary that surrounds sexual misconduct allegations against former friend Russell Simmons.
Winfrey, who initially served as an executive producer on the film as part of her deal with Apple TV Plus, explained that she was concerned with numerous “inconsistencies” with the story. She claims that she voiced her concerns to filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering telling them that if they didn’t halt “On the Record,” in an effort to address the holes in the story, she would pull away from the project.
“I just care about getting it right, and I think there are some inconsistencies in the stories that we need to look at,” Winfrey revealed on CBS This Morning.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Despite concerns of the story not being 100% accurate, the film will move forward, with a scheduled premiere at Sundance on January 25th. The doc will highlight several women who have accused music mogul Russell Simmons of inappropriate touching and even rape. Winfrey, however, backed out of the project just two weeks before its debut, a move that was met with much criticism from accusers.
Last week, she revealed in a statement to FOX News that Simmons had made several attempts to intimidate her into backing out of the film. However, Winfrey refutes claims of that being the true reason for her departure.
“This is not a victory for Russell, and I unequivocally say that I did not pull out because of Russell. This is not a victory lap for him. I cannot be silenced by Russell Simmons after all I’ve been through.”
