A $5 million lawsuit that accused Russell Simmons of rape has been dismissed, according to court papers reported in April 2018 by outlets including TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter. The papers say the case was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.
Jennifer, an aspiring filmmaker and documentary producer, filed the suit in January. She alleged that the incident happened in 2016 at Simmons’ Los Angeles home after he invited her over to discuss a project. Her suit said she told a few close friends at the time and decided to come forward after other women made public allegations.
Simmons has denied the claims from the start. “I vehemently deny all the allegations made against me,” he said. In his response to the lawsuit, he said the two had a consensual relationship and pointed to communications between them after the alleged incident. He also said he has passed lie detector tests.
Reports did not say what led both sides to end the case. Other allegations made against Simmons by different women are separate from this lawsuit.
