A former Def Jam employee who has accused Russell Simmons of rape has asked a judge to dismiss the claim that he cannot be sued.
According to Rolling Stone, Jane Doe is seeking action against the mogul who said he can’t be sued because “he sold his last U.S. property in 2021 and now lives fully and legitimately in Bali under a permanent retirement visa granted by Indonesian authorities.
“Defendant is running from the court’s jurisdiction to avoid taking accountability for his actions,” the docs read.
In a remote deposition, Doe alleged that Simmons still maintains an office in midtown Manhattan.
“He testified that he is building a business empire and needs a partner for his current projects but is thwarted in his active efforts in Dubai and Singapore because of the morality clauses those countries require,” the documents stated.
She also said that his home in in Indonesia, the Gdas Bali Health and Wellness Resort, is a business a business that he co-owns with several investors.
“Actively building an empire means that the defendant is ineligible for a retirement visa in Indonesia,” Doe’s filing states. “Any purported retirement visa requires recertification every few years that one is, in fact, retired. Building an empire and being retired are mutually exclusive.”
In an interview with AllHipHop in May, Doe claims that Simmons admitted that he relocated to Bali on his own.
“People saying that I somehow can’t come home when I’m there all the time wears on you,” he’d said. “It wears on me after a while to keep hearing the same narrative, which is false. I’m always in LA, I’m always in New York and Miami. And I’ve never had any reason to feel unsafe in America.”
The allegation stems from an alleged encounter in the 90s. Doe claims Simmons invited her to his apartment and began wrestling with her “in an attempt to appear playful.” Then she said he pinned her down on a bed aggressively.
“Ms. Doe repeatedly told Mr. Simmons to get off of her, but he refused,” court documents state. “Mr. Simmons proceeded to rape her.”
Doe also said that Simmons harassed her until she was forced to resign in 1997.
Simmons has denied all charges.
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