Russell Simmons and Brett Ratner Have Been Accused of Joint Sexual Harassment
Recent reports have revealed that Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons and film director and producer Brett Ratner have been accused of joint sexual misconduct against a single victim.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times, model Keri Khaligi recalled the alleged sexual misconduct that happened when she was 17 years old. She met Simmons and Ratner during a casting call for a music video that they had been working on.
"I looked over at Brett and said, 'Help me,' and I'll never forget the look on his face. In that moment, the realisation fell on me that they were in it together," said Khaligi.
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Simmons allegedly initially forced her into intimate situations before she eventually relented after she realized that Ratner would not help her.
"I completely and unequivocally deny the horrendous allegations of nonconsensual sex against me with every fiber of my being ... More than anything, I want my daughters to live in a more equal world and a world where they will not become victims of sexual harassment," said Def Jam's co-founder Simmons in a statement, as reported by The Guardian.
Meanwhile, Ratner's legal camp has issued a statement to the LA Times, telling them that he had no recollection of the incident.
Apart from Khaligi, another woman named Tanya Reid has come forward to make the same accusations against Simmons and Ratner. According to reports, the former asked Reid to engage in oral sex with the latter. Ratner further forced Reid into the situation. The traumatic experience ruined her reputation in the modeling industry, which eventually led to her having to give up on her dreams and career in the industry.
Ratner is currently facing new allegations from several actresses, and he has repeatedly denied all claims that have been made against him. Meanwhile, Simmons has been implicated to be in another sexual harassment act when a Playboy magazine writer recalled how he left in the middle of the interview to have sex with a model in Ratner's apartment.
