Russell Simmons Rape Accuser Drops $5 Million Lawsuit

A lawsuit from a Los Angeles woman who alleged music mogul Russell Simmons raped her at his home in 2016 is being dropped, according to a federal court filing Wednesday.

The two sides have agreed that the suit, filed in January, should be dismissed, with each side bearing its own attorneys’ fees. It gave no other details on whether a settlement was reached.

Jennifer Jarosik alleged Simmons raped her after trying to have sex with her when she visited his Los Angeles home in August 2016 for a meeting about a documentary she was making. She had sought at least $5 million in damages.

When the suit was filed Simmons called the allegation “absolutely untrue” and said he looked forward to the truth coming out in court.

He said in a legal response to the lawsuit earlier this month that Jarosik was an acquaintance with whom he’d had consensual sex, and said that he’d received a steady stream of friendly communications from her, including text messages and unsolicited nude photos, since the night of the alleged incident.

Simmons, 60, was a major player in the rise of hip-hop, co-founding Def Jam Recordings and helping make stars of hip-hop artists such as LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. He later expanded his business into films, television and stand-up comedy.

He was one of the first figures in music to be called out in the cascade of sexual misconduct allegations that began with Harvey Weinstein in October.

Five other women have come forward publicly and said Simmons raped them in the 1980s or 1990s, including three who made the allegations in a New York Times story in December.

Simmons has denied all the allegations, saying in January that they range “from the patently untrue to the frivolous and hurtful.”