When DJ Envy of The Breakfast Club shared yesterday that Russell Simmons would be joining the show on Wednesday (June 10), there was a little pushback from the public. Not everyone was happy to hear about the interview, especially Sil Lai Abrams, a woman who accused Russell Simmons of raping her back in 1994. She took to her Twitter account to call out The Breakfast Club and its hosts, calling them "rape apologists" in her tweet.

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During Simmons's video conference appearance, the Def Jam icon refuted claims that he behaved inappropriately. "I could never say that someone doesn't feel victimized," Russell Simmons said. "Thirty years ago... These stories are twenty-five to forty-years-old. I can't say someone doesn't feel victimized. I can tell you that I don't feel that I victimized them. And how can I say that? I took nine separate three-hour lie detector tests by two separate teachers. Polygraph. So I just want to share that. They're available to you. I just wanted to say that, and I don't know what else to say other than I feel terrible."

Then, Simmons said that during Oprah Winfrey's investigation, he read a report by one woman and said he "believed her." He stated, "She said she got in the car and the car door locked. My first instinct was sh*t, the car doors lock in 1990. Cadillacs. So, it was a misunderstanding as far as I can tell. But I believe her. But I also passed nine tests because I believe me." Russell Simmons added that while he does feel terrible for the women who were "victimized." he isn't the "monster" that people are painting him out to be. Check out Simmons's explanation below and let us know if you watched the controversial On the Record documentary.

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The controversial On the Record documentary has aired on HBO Max, and Russell Simmons is ready to speak his truth. For years, the Def Jam icon has been a leading voice in the music industry, but recently, his name has been entangled in controversy. For some time, Russell Simmons has stood accused of rape and sexual misconduct, and while many of the stories are from decades ago, his alleged victims have joined forces and come forward to share their stories.

Dozens of women have accused Simmons of sexual assault, and after it was shared that One the Record, a doc that highlights the story of former music executive Drew Dixon and others, would be seen by the masses, Simmons vehemently denied the allegations against him. He even went toe-to-toe with Oprah Winfrey who was an executive producer of the documentary before bowing out over what she said were creative differences.

On Tuesday (June 9), DJ Envy shared that Russell Simmons would be joining The Breakfast Club for a chat on Wednesday (June 10) morning. This was something that didn't sit well with accuser Sil Lai Abrams who has repeatedly shared her story that Simmons raped her in 1994. Simmons denied the allegations.

"Please explain this @breakfastclubam @cthagod @angelayee @djenvy Why? Why do you carry water for this man? Why now? Why are you so tone deaf? You're all complicit in ensuring that Black women's right to bodily autonomy continues to be denied. You're also rape apologists," she penned on Twitter. She wasn't the only one to call out the radio show. Check out a few harsh reactions below.

By now, you’ve heard of On The Record, the earthshattering documentary detailing allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct against Russell Simmons. As the months have progressed and more information about the controversial film has been revealed, Simmons has continued to categorically deny the allegations before him. While his name has been paraded in headlines in his attachment to One The Record, there hasn’t been as much recognition placed on another music industry great who stands accused of sexual misconduct as well: L.A. Reid.

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On The Record‘s main person of interest is Drew Dixon, a former music industry executive who worked with hip hop legends in her heyday. The film follows her career as she worked from the bottom to becoming the Director of A&R at Def Jam, but after she alleged Russell Simmons raped her, she soon left the label. In the film, Dixon says she took some time to find herself after feeling destroyed from the alleged attack, then she met Clive Davis and got a job over at Arista Records as the Senior Director of A&R.

She thrived there, even helping to build hits with Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston, but during her tenure, Clive stepped down and L.A. Reid took his place. What followed, according to Dixon, were behaviors that she says mirrored much of the sexual harassment she endured at Def Jam. She claims that after she rejected Reid’s advances, notably refusing to meet up with him at the swanky Four Seasons hotel, he became cruel and unwilling to even consider artists that she knew were hitmakers. Two of those talents were allegedly Kanye West and John Legend.

“I auditioned Kanye West, and not only did he pass on Kanye, L.A. Reid dressed me down in front of the entire A&R department,” Drew Dixon recalled in the film. She went on to say that for 45 minutes Reid embarrassed her in front of her colleagues and called her Kanye pitch a “waste of [his] time.” In the end, Dixon asked Reid if she could go out into the hallway and give Ye the bad news.

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“I remember, I brought Kanye into my office, he had tears in his eyes,” she said. “I said, let me tell you something. You’re gonna get a deal. You’re gonna win Grammys. You’re gonna look back on this. You’re gonna laugh. Promise you.” The last artist she attempted to get Reid to sign before ultimately quitting the industry altogether was John Legend. Like Kanye, Reid allegedly passed on the EGOT crooner because of what Dixon describes as his spite for her. They reportedly rented a private concert space for Legend to practice in hopes of delivering his best performance pitch to the high-powered music executive, but at the last minute, Dixon says Reid told her he “didn’t want to go, and he told the senior staff not to go. He passed on him.”

Both Simmons and Reid have denied any accusations of sexual misconduct. On The Record debuts on HBO Max on May 27.

It's with extremely heavy hearts that we report the passing of Andre Harrell. While his cause of death is unclear, the news has just circulated that the 59-year-old passed away—news that was delivered by DJ D-Nice as he was performing one of his popular Instagram Live Club Quarantine sessions. There hasn't yet been an official statement released from Harrell's camp.

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His name may be unfamiliar to some, but the impact that Andre Harrell had on the music industry is insurmountable. He was responsible for signing Sean "Puffy" Combs to his very first record deal and was the founder of Uptown Records, a label that held artists like Al B. Sure!, Christopher Williams, Biggie, Jodeci, Guy, Heavy D. & The Boyz, Father MC, Mary J. Blige, Soul 4 Real, and many others. Harrell would also serve as the President and CEO of Motown Records for a time as well as the Vice president and General Manager of Def Jam. At the time of his passing, Harrell held the position of Vice Chairman of REVOLT TV & Media.

As this news is fresh, we expect there to be many reactions from industry professionals and performers about Andre Harrell no longer being with us. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Read through a few tweets about him below.

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons has been taking a few hard hits lately. The music icon has been embroiled in scandal after he was hit not only with allegations of sexual assault by multiple women, but a documentary about their accusations has been made public. He’s stepped forward to vehemently deny that he’s ever engaged in any acts of sexual misconduct, but the controversy has caused people to bring up his relationship with ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons.

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There has been gossip that Russell Simmons began courting Kimora when she was an underaged model. They were married, had children together, and later divorced, but they’ve maintained a close friendship throughout the years. Recently, Russell gave Kimora a birthday shoutout, and in the comments, Russell addressed rumors that he dated his ex-wife when she wasn’t of-age.

“I never do this but… That’s not true…,” he reportedly penned in a since-deleted comment. “She turned 18 right after i met her February fashion week Tyra banks (our bridesmaid) Cindy Crawford Naomi were all back stage at the Mary McFadden show they said i was a modelizer and that i wasn’t gonna stick around… i think that may have inspired her (the challenge).”

“We got to know each other by May we were dating,” Russell added. “She was legal at 17 But she turned 18 that may her mother and her manager Bethann Hardison approved supported and Rushed us (we really didn’t need a push) and the love affair began People like to talk every so often i loose my cool and talk back so take this advice Be happy and share happiness… try to think uplifting thoughts and keep learning to practice love… that’s our goal… oh and celebrate the queen @kimoraleesimmons.” Check out his birthday post to Kimora Lee Simmons below.

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After months of scandal, back and forth statements, and controversial interviews, the trailer for the documentary about Russell Simmons’ sexual assault accusations has arrived. The film recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival months ago and was well-received, but the world can now get a glimpse into what to expect from the explosive HBO Max exposé.

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Oprah Winfrey, who boasted a decadeslong friendship with Russell Simmons, was once an executive producer of the film before announcing that she was removing herself from the project. “In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision,” Oprah said back in January.

Russell Simmons has continuously denied the allegations before him. He unequivocally claims that he’s never assaulted or forced himself on anyone sexually, but his accusers are unwavering. “Maybe you should name your documentary ‘FLAVOR OF LOVE’!?” the music icon wrote on Instagram. “In closing, I am guilty of exploiting, supporting, and making the soundtrack for a grossly unequal society, but i have never been violent or forced myself on anyone.” On the Record will premiere on HBO Max on May 27 but until then, watch the trailer below.

Fanatic owner Michael Rubin has launched the All In Challenge, a social media effort that has gone viral. It's all in hopes of donating food and resources to people in need, especially during this quarantine, and celebrities are lending their platforms to the cause. Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio have joined the challenge, along with Drake who recently announced that he was offering a trip on his private plane, a pair of concert tickets, an invitation to a private party, and an overall once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Famous couple Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara have added their names to the All In Challenge and took to social media to share what a lucky winner can expect to receive from them. "Babe, what do you wanna give 'em?" Russell asked Ciara. "A double date with Russ and I." The pair added that the winner would be flown to Russ and CiCi's city in a private plane and then share a meal at one of the couple's favorite hot spots.

They also challenged Jennifer Lopez and fiancé Alex Rodriguez along with John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. Check out Russell and Ciara's video below.

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Go to link in bio! Let’s come together to feed the hungry during these tough times. ❤️??

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After Gayle King brought up Kobe Bryant's rape allegations during an interview with Lisa Leslie, a chorus erupted in opposition to the television host. While the world is mourning the loss of this basketball legend, many felt that it was inappropriate to rehash this stain on his legacy. King ended up being clumped together with Oprah, who also recently faced backlash for tearing down black men through her involvement in a documentary about rape allegations against Russell Simmons. Ari Lennox, who has made a habit of voicing her opinions on Instagram Live, went on rant about King and Oprah on Thursday (Feb. 6), calling them "some self-hating, pieces of sh*t f*ckasses." The tables ended up turning on the Dreamville songstress for siding with these men and she has now penned a lengthy apology to all those who were hurt by her words. 

"I am sorry. I was acting like an ass," she started off the post shared on her Tumblr page. "I impulsively spiraled cause I was sick of seeing the distasteful shade especially at such a terrible and sad time towards someone I know is good person... I’m sorry for triggering people and I’m sorry if I caused any trauma. Im sorry for victim shaming, swear that wasn’t my intent." 

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Lennox has come to the conclusion that social media leads to her words being misconstrued, as they are not conducive to "healthy and productive conversations." For this reason, she has decided to leave social media. Her Twitter page has already been purged save for the tweet with the link to her apology. "I’m excited to leave social media for good," she wrote. "I’m excited for true self love, healing, understanding and peace. To all the people who checked me from a place of love, I love you forever and I hear you and I deeply empathize more than you’ll ever know. I would love to keep the conversation going in real life."

You can read her full message below. 

Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King are not the most-loved figures in the black community right now. People are beginning to catch onto a problematic trend in Winfrey’s interviewing habits, seemingly exposing an exclusive list of black celebrities and refusing to go after any white men or women who have been accused of similar crimes. We saw Oprah Winfrey take on R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, Russell Simmons, and others in the last year. After Gayle King’s interview with Lisa Leslie went viral for all the wrong reasons this week, containing a clip where King asked the basketball star if Kobe Bryant’s 2003 rape trial taints his legacy, she’s also been earning tons of heat from a number of outlets. 50 Cent has been vocal about his thoughts on both Winfrey and King and, now, Snoop Dogg is chiming in as well.

Posting a headline about Oprah’s “spiritual healer” allegedly being taken down for sex crimes, the Doggfather spoke on the controversy surrounding both Winfrey and King in his caption by asking where his documentary is. 

“We waiting. When. Or is it only blacks that y’all wanna interview and try and tarnish they reputation over accusations fuck both you hoes on behalf of the whole hood u bitches not with us. Gayle and Oprah been on bullshit so fuck y’all and y’all super powers,” said Snoop Dogg.

This follows up a video message that Dogg shared last night, requesting that Gayle King discontinue any talk surrounding Kobe Bryant and politely asking her to let his family grieve. Does Snoop have a point?

Despite the fact that Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV+ withdrew themselves from affiliation with On The Record, the documentary detailing the sexual assault accusations brought up on Russell Simmons, the film has had moderate success already. The troubling documentary received multiple standing ovations at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has officially found a home in partnership with the premium cable network, HBO Max this past Monday (Feb. 3). 

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HBO Max’s Head of Original Content, Sarah Aubrey released a statement in support of On The Record documentary:

“The fierce determination of Drew Dixon and all the women who bravely chose to share their stories in ‘On the Record’ moved us profoundly. I’ve been impressed with Amy and Kirby’s work over the years covering this complex subject matter, and look forward to this film finding the widest possible audience.”

The film directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering reveals Drew Dixon’s decision to come forward and publicly detail the alleged incident where she claims Russell Simmons forcibly raped her in his New York home while working as a music executive for the music mogul in 1995. 

During an interview with CBS, Oprah Winfrey revealed that she didn’t leave the doc behind due to pressure from Russell Simmons and his family but due to inconsistencies and new information about the allegations coming to light. However, Winfrey insisted she is not in support of the Def Jam Records co-founder stating:

“This is not a victory lap for him. I cannot be silenced by a Russell Simmons after all I’ve been through.”

While Russell Simmons has received support from his associates and former-lovers, he’s also vehemently denied all allegations against him. 

With HBO Max willing to distribute the documentary, the masses will finally get to view On The Record for themselves in the near future. As of right now, HBO has not revealed an official premiere date for the documentary. Stick with HNHH as details unfold.