Russell Simmons has a bone to pick with HBO, and he's not afraid to let the world know. Earlier this week, the Def Jam co-founder took to Threads to demand an apology from the company.
“HBO you owe me 100s of millions of dollars,” he alleged. "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.”
It's unclear exactly why Simmons thinks HBO owes him this kind of cash. Back in June, however, he sued the company for a staggering $20 million. The lawsuit was filed in New York state court. It accuses those behind the Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick-directed documentary, On The Record, of defamation.
Why Did Russell Simmons Sue HBO?
In the lawsuit, Simmons also alleges that evidence that could dispute the sexual assault allegations he's facing was left out of the documentary. Allegedly, the evidence in question includes more than 20 interviews with witnesses that challenge the negative narrative that's surrounded him in recent years. He alleges that it was presented to both John Stankey, the CEO of Warner Media at the time, as well as chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, Casey Bloys. Allegedly, it was ignored.
Simmons' attorneys also accuse doc producers of ignoring information that “would have been discovered with due diligence and adherence to accepted journalistic standards,” in addition to nine polygraph tests.
Shortly after the suit was filed, a spokesperson for HBO’s parent company issued a response. "We dispute Mr. Simmons’ allegations, stand by the filmmakers and their process, and will vigorously defend ourselves against these unfounded allegations,” they confirmed.
