November 6, 2025
Russell Simmons has reportedly paid greater than $3 million to a few ladies who accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.
Russell Simmons has reportedly reached and paid settlement agreements with three ladies who accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.
For over a 12 months, a minimum of 5 ladies who accused Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct had been awaiting their settlement funds. In line with attorneys for Wendy Franco, Sil Lai Abrams, and Sherri Abernathy, Simmons has paid greater than $3 million in excellent quantities owed to them, Rolling Stone studies.
“The matter has been resolved,” a lawyer for the women stated whereas declining to offer any extra particulars.
Underneath the settlement phrases, the Def Jam co-founder agreed to pay Franco $515,000 and Abrams and Abernathy $1,265,000 every for alleged incidents of rape and misconduct. Abernathy accused Simmons of raping her in 1983, whereas Abrams alleged an analogous assault in 1994. Franco has not publicly detailed her claims, however court docket paperwork point out her settlement entails alleged “bodily accidents and illness.”
Authorized paperwork filed in January 2025 present that Simmons nonetheless owed a minimum of $8 million to a few different accusers—Tina Klein-Baker, Toni Sallie, and Alexia Jones. The filings acknowledged that, as of earlier this 12 months, he had paid them solely $220,000 in whole.
The settlements seem to permit Simmons to maneuver ahead with out admitting guilt. The agreements with Franco, Abrams, and Abernathy omit particular allegations, as an alternative stating that funds had been made for “alleged private, bodily accidents and illness.” Every settlement additionally clarifies that Simmons’ funds don’t represent “any admission of legal responsibility, fault, or wrongdoing.” Equally, the settlements with Sallie and Jones embrace no detailed claims and reaffirm that no legal responsibility is admitted.
Earlier than the settlements had been paid, Franco, Abrams, and Abernathy described Simmons’ delay in cost as one other emotional setback of their lengthy authorized battle over the alleged assaults and misconduct. After greater than a 12 months of ready, they stated his nonpayment felt like an added layer of trauma.
“It was devastating,” Franco stated in April. “I simply felt so silly that I believed this individual would comply with via, that I believed that somebody who might do what he did would flip round and acknowledge me and make some sort of amends. You uncovered your self to this, and now this individual once more reveals you that it doesn’t matter to him.”
In the meantime, Simmons continues to pursue a defamation lawsuit towards HBO and filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, who produced On the File, the 2020 documentary that includes interviews with a number of of his accusers. Simmons’s lawyer argues that “credible data, persuasive proof, and witness statements” supporting him had been ignored throughout manufacturing.
HBO’s dad or mum firm, Warner Bros. Discovery, has dismissed the go well with as missing “each advantage and substance,” affirming its help for the movie.
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