Russell Simmons is taking his fight against HBO to his social media, and he is coming for every cent he thinks he is owed.
The hip-hop pioneer shook up Threads this week with a bold demand for $100 million and a formal apology, claiming the network intentionally tried to dismantle his legacy. Simmons claims that the company’s past actions were both calculated and deeply personal.
He wrote, “HBO, you owe me 100s of millions of dollars. I need my bread, for all my charities and family members, specifically my children. You know what you did was horrific and malicious. You can’t hide. Ask Oprah or anyone [who’s] ever looked at the evidence (available in suit). You intentionally suppressed all of it. I want apology and 100 million…Time to pay.”
This latest move is an escalation of a legal battle that began when Simmons filed a $20 million defamation suit in New York. That case centers on the 2020 documentary “On The Record,” directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, which aired on the platform and highlighted various sexual assault allegations from women, including Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams, and Sheri Hines.
Simmons argues that the project was a one-sided attack that willfully ignored facts that could have exonerated him. He pointed to high-profile figures like Oprah Winfrey, who famously stepped away from the project as an executive producer after expressing concerns over inconsistencies, as proof that the narrative was flawed.
The main issue for Simmons is the claim that over 20 witness statements and nine separate lie detector tests were left on the cutting room floor. His legal team insists that these polygraphs and interviews, which allegedly include testimony from people like former Def Jam president Carmen Ashurst and music figure Jayson Jackson, were handed directly to top executives like Casey Bloys and John Stankey but were brushed aside to protect the film’s narrative.
The mogul believes that by continuing to stream the documentary globally, HBO is causing ongoing damage to his name. Despite the heavy accusations, HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros Discovery, is standing its ground. A spokesperson previously made their position clear, saying, “We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their process, and will vigorously defend ourselves against these unfounded allegations.”
As the clock ticks on his 2026 demands, Simmons appears ready to keep the pressure on until he sees a deposit.
