Russell Simmons has been sued for defamation for allegedly trying to undermine sexual assault accusations made against him.
Drew Dixon, a former Def Jam Recordings executive who alleges she was raped by the music mogul in 1995, claims in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in New York’s state Supreme Court that Simmons engaged in a “concerted and malicious campaign to discredit” her with the aim of undercutting her rape accusations. Among other statements, Simmons said in an interview on a podcast in December, “Could someone want notoriety in the market where people thirst for fame” and “I’ve never been forceful in any of my relationships,” all of which were “consensual.”
The complaint was filed on the heels of another suit against Simmons for sexual assault and battery from an ex-executive at the label he cofounded, who sued as a Jane Doe.
In 1995, Dixon says Simmons invited her to his...
Drew Dixon, a former Def Jam Recordings executive who alleges she was raped by the music mogul in 1995, claims in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in New York’s state Supreme Court that Simmons engaged in a “concerted and malicious campaign to discredit” her with the aim of undercutting her rape accusations. Among other statements, Simmons said in an interview on a podcast in December, “Could someone want notoriety in the market where people thirst for fame” and “I’ve never been forceful in any of my relationships,” all of which were “consensual.”
The complaint was filed on the heels of another suit against Simmons for sexual assault and battery from an ex-executive at the label he cofounded, who sued as a Jane Doe.
In 1995, Dixon says Simmons invited her to his...
- 2/15/2024
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Russell Simmons is facing another lawsuit, this time for defamation after former music executive Drew Dixon claims the Def Jam Records co-founder defamed her by calling her a “liar” after she accused him of sexually assaulting her, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
Dixon, who worked as an A&r executive at the label from 1993 until leaving shortly after the alleged assault in 1995, filed suit in New York on Thursday and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Attorneys for Dixon point to an interview Simmons gave in December...
Dixon, who worked as an A&r executive at the label from 1993 until leaving shortly after the alleged assault in 1995, filed suit in New York on Thursday and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Attorneys for Dixon point to an interview Simmons gave in December...
- 2/15/2024
- by Cheyenne Roundtree
- Rollingstone.com
A former Def Jam executive has sued Russell Simmons for sexual harassment and battery, claiming the embattled label founder pulled a “wrestling move” to pin her to the bed in his New York apartment and raped her in the 1990s, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
The Jane Doe filed suit in New York federal court on Tuesday and is now among 20 women to accuse Simmons of sexual assault or harassment, according to the suit. Doe claims she joined the record label as a senior-level music executive in...
The Jane Doe filed suit in New York federal court on Tuesday and is now among 20 women to accuse Simmons of sexual assault or harassment, according to the suit. Doe claims she joined the record label as a senior-level music executive in...
- 2/13/2024
- by Cheyenne Roundtree and Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Russell Simmons has been sued for sexual harassment and battery by a former Def Jam Recordings executive, who accuses the music mogul of raping her at his apartment more than 25 years ago.
The plaintiff, who sued as a Jane Doe, is described in the complaint filed in New York federal court on Tuesday as a former senior music executive and video producer at at the label who currently works as a writer and producer. She says her career was stalled by Simmons’ systematic harassment of her in the 1990s.
According to the complaint, Simmons asked the accuser to visit his apartment in New York to approve a new video. He initially began to “wrestle” with her “in an attempt to appear playful,” but the “situation escalated into aggression,” with him pinning her down on a bed, the suit claims.
“Ms. Doe repeatedly told Mr. Simmons to get off of her,...
The plaintiff, who sued as a Jane Doe, is described in the complaint filed in New York federal court on Tuesday as a former senior music executive and video producer at at the label who currently works as a writer and producer. She says her career was stalled by Simmons’ systematic harassment of her in the 1990s.
According to the complaint, Simmons asked the accuser to visit his apartment in New York to approve a new video. He initially began to “wrestle” with her “in an attempt to appear playful,” but the “situation escalated into aggression,” with him pinning her down on a bed, the suit claims.
“Ms. Doe repeatedly told Mr. Simmons to get off of her,...
- 2/13/2024
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Grammy-winning music executive L.A. Reid has been sued by a former employee who claims that he sexually assaulted her and then derailed her career.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Wednesday by Drew Dixon, who worked for Reid during his time as chief executive of Arista Records where she alleges Reid sexually assaulted her twice in 2001.
She then left Arista a year later and believes that her rise in the music business was cut short by Reid’s intervention.
“This litigation is not only about the horrific physical assaults that Ms. Dixon had to endure but it is also about the irreparable damage done to the rare and blossoming career of an extraordinary talent,” the lawsuit statement read.
Dixon sued under the New York state’s Adult Survivor’s Act, which passed last year.
The act allows victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to sue even if...
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Wednesday by Drew Dixon, who worked for Reid during his time as chief executive of Arista Records where she alleges Reid sexually assaulted her twice in 2001.
She then left Arista a year later and believes that her rise in the music business was cut short by Reid’s intervention.
“This litigation is not only about the horrific physical assaults that Ms. Dixon had to endure but it is also about the irreparable damage done to the rare and blossoming career of an extraordinary talent,” the lawsuit statement read.
Dixon sued under the New York state’s Adult Survivor’s Act, which passed last year.
The act allows victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to sue even if...
- 11/9/2023
- by Zach Ament
- Uinterview
Antonio “L.A.” Reid — a Grammy-winning music executive known for helping launch the careers of Usher, OutKast and Pink — has been sued by a former Arista Records executive who claims she was sexually assaulted and retaliated against by Reid, who allegedly obstructed her career after she rebuffed further advances.
In a lawsuit filed in New York federal court on Wednesday, Drew Dixon accuses Reid, who she worked under starting in the early 2000s, of assaulting her on two occasions. After she rejected other overtures, she alleges Reid responded by “punishing the artists” she had “already signed or by blocking the artists she attempted to sign,” including Kanye West and John Legend.
The case follows accusations from Dixon made in 2017 that Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, raped her and that Reid harassed her, forcing her out of the music industry. (Simmons denied the claim.) The same year, Reid exited...
In a lawsuit filed in New York federal court on Wednesday, Drew Dixon accuses Reid, who she worked under starting in the early 2000s, of assaulting her on two occasions. After she rejected other overtures, she alleges Reid responded by “punishing the artists” she had “already signed or by blocking the artists she attempted to sign,” including Kanye West and John Legend.
The case follows accusations from Dixon made in 2017 that Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, raped her and that Reid harassed her, forcing her out of the music industry. (Simmons denied the claim.) The same year, Reid exited...
- 11/9/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Music mogul L.A. Reid has been accused of sexual assault and retaliatory behavior by a former executive who worked with him at Arista.
The 67-year-old Grammy winning producer and executive was sued by Drew Dixon on Wednesday (November 8) in New York City.
She alleges that L.A. retaliated after she rebuffed two instances of assault before she left the company in 2002. She shared additional details in an interview and within court documents.
Keep reading to find out more…
Drew‘s lawsuit is possible as a result of the Adult Survivors Act, which allows victims over the age of 18 at the time of their assault to pursue legal action.
Speaking to the New York Times, Drew explained that she was taking steps to “seek some degree of accountability.”
In court documents, she explained that retaliation from L.A. included “embarrassing her in front of others or otherwise being curt and unprofessional.
The 67-year-old Grammy winning producer and executive was sued by Drew Dixon on Wednesday (November 8) in New York City.
She alleges that L.A. retaliated after she rebuffed two instances of assault before she left the company in 2002. She shared additional details in an interview and within court documents.
Keep reading to find out more…
Drew‘s lawsuit is possible as a result of the Adult Survivors Act, which allows victims over the age of 18 at the time of their assault to pursue legal action.
Speaking to the New York Times, Drew explained that she was taking steps to “seek some degree of accountability.”
In court documents, she explained that retaliation from L.A. included “embarrassing her in front of others or otherwise being curt and unprofessional.
- 11/9/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
L.A. Reid, who helped develop music superstars Mariah Carey, Pink, TLC, and Usher, has been sued by a former music executive on accusations of sexually assaulting her more than two decades ago.
Drew Dixon claims Reid, 67, derailed her rising career after he became Arista Records’ chief executive and she rejected his advances. The allegations include two alleged sexual assaults that she said occurred in 2001.
The case is Dixon v Reid and was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. Dixon seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit.
Reid and his representatives have so far not commented on the lawsuit.
Although the allegations date back to the turn of the century, Dixon is suing under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act. That gives adults a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual abuse that occurred long ago, even if the statutes of limitations have expired.
Drew Dixon claims Reid, 67, derailed her rising career after he became Arista Records’ chief executive and she rejected his advances. The allegations include two alleged sexual assaults that she said occurred in 2001.
The case is Dixon v Reid and was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. Dixon seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit.
Reid and his representatives have so far not commented on the lawsuit.
Although the allegations date back to the turn of the century, Dixon is suing under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act. That gives adults a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual abuse that occurred long ago, even if the statutes of limitations have expired.
- 11/9/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Arista Records executive Drew Dixon has filed a lawsuit against L.A. Reid, alleging the music mogul continually harassed and sexually assaulted her twice in 2001 while she was working for him, according to court records obtained by Rolling Stone.
Dixon sued in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday under the Adult Survivors Act, which opened up a one-year window for victims of sexual offenses to file a civil suit against their abuser outside the statute of limitations’ expiration date. The window closes on November 24th.
Dixon has been...
Dixon sued in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday under the Adult Survivors Act, which opened up a one-year window for victims of sexual offenses to file a civil suit against their abuser outside the statute of limitations’ expiration date. The window closes on November 24th.
Dixon has been...
- 11/8/2023
- by Cheyenne Roundtree
- Rollingstone.com
Equality Now (En), a leading international women’s rights organization that uses the law to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights, will hold its annual Make Equality Reality Gala on October 11, 2023 in New York City.
Bringing together cultural leaders, philanthropists, artists, and changemakers to celebrate progress toward a more gender-equal world, the evening will honor poet, activist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur with the 6th Annual Changemaker Award presented by Gucci Chime for Gender Equality, followed by a special performance by Rupi herself, and feature keynote remarks by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa plus a virtual comedic performance by Amy Schumer. The event will also commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, which focuses on addressing the challenges girls face and promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Other expected guests include: journalist, activist and 2022 honoree Gloria Steinem; actress and...
Bringing together cultural leaders, philanthropists, artists, and changemakers to celebrate progress toward a more gender-equal world, the evening will honor poet, activist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur with the 6th Annual Changemaker Award presented by Gucci Chime for Gender Equality, followed by a special performance by Rupi herself, and feature keynote remarks by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa plus a virtual comedic performance by Amy Schumer. The event will also commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, which focuses on addressing the challenges girls face and promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Other expected guests include: journalist, activist and 2022 honoree Gloria Steinem; actress and...
- 10/10/2023
- Look to the Stars
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Nearly three years after it was first announced, HBO Max — the streaming service from HBO and WarnerMedia — has officially become “Max“, merging their content library with Discovery+. They’re still the home of hit shows like Succession and Mare of Easttown, and films from Warner Bros. slate of premieres (think Dune and Zack Snyder’s Justice League).
But is Max still worth the price of admission? This streaming...
Nearly three years after it was first announced, HBO Max — the streaming service from HBO and WarnerMedia — has officially become “Max“, merging their content library with Discovery+. They’re still the home of hit shows like Succession and Mare of Easttown, and films from Warner Bros. slate of premieres (think Dune and Zack Snyder’s Justice League).
But is Max still worth the price of admission? This streaming...
- 5/23/2023
- by Brandt Ranj and Sage Anderson
- Rollingstone.com
Content warning: This article contains mentions of rape and sexual harassment.
On Aug. 13, 1995, The New York Times published an article about Method Man and Mary J. Blige's iconic hip-hop and R&b duet "All I Need," stamped the "No. 1 Summer Song of Love" at the time. The publication credited former Def Jam Recordings CEO Lyor Cohen for persuading the Wu-Tang Clan rapper to rerecord his original song (off his 1994 "Tical" album) with the queen of hip-hop soul, with Cohen giving a detailed account of how he allegedly did so.
Nowhere does the article mention former Def Jam A&r executive Drew Dixon, who says she's the real brains behind "hip-hop's greatest love song"; she was never officially credited for birthing the idea or for the literal groundwork she did to make it come to fruition.
At the height of Dixon's burgeoning career in the '90s, she oversaw...
On Aug. 13, 1995, The New York Times published an article about Method Man and Mary J. Blige's iconic hip-hop and R&b duet "All I Need," stamped the "No. 1 Summer Song of Love" at the time. The publication credited former Def Jam Recordings CEO Lyor Cohen for persuading the Wu-Tang Clan rapper to rerecord his original song (off his 1994 "Tical" album) with the queen of hip-hop soul, with Cohen giving a detailed account of how he allegedly did so.
Nowhere does the article mention former Def Jam A&r executive Drew Dixon, who says she's the real brains behind "hip-hop's greatest love song"; she was never officially credited for birthing the idea or for the literal groundwork she did to make it come to fruition.
At the height of Dixon's burgeoning career in the '90s, she oversaw...
- 4/26/2023
- by Drew Dixon
- Popsugar.com
Last week, Equality Now hosted its 30th Anniversary Gala to celebrate the organization’s three decades of gender equality work and the En 30 for 30 list of artists, activists, and advocates.
Stars Attend Equality Now Gala
The event featured inspiring performances of music, drama, and comedy with art and advocacy supporting equality for women and girls.
In attendance, Equality Now 30 for 30 women and changemakers – Gloria Steinem, Brisa De Angulo, Jaha Dukureh, Drew Dixon, Sarah Sophie Flicker, and Paola Mendoza along with award-winning actress Jodie Turner-Smith and international best-selling author and Equality Now 30 for 30 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the fifth annual Changemaker Award presented by Gucci and Chime For Change to recognize the activism of the women and girls of Iran and special performances by the Resistance Revival Chorus, Sage Sovereign, Felukah.
Also in attendance: Maya Hawke, Sarah Cooper, Jeremy O. Harris, Cindi Leive, Emily Alyn Lind, Aasif Mandvi, Patina Miller, Lynn Nottage,...
Stars Attend Equality Now Gala
The event featured inspiring performances of music, drama, and comedy with art and advocacy supporting equality for women and girls.
In attendance, Equality Now 30 for 30 women and changemakers – Gloria Steinem, Brisa De Angulo, Jaha Dukureh, Drew Dixon, Sarah Sophie Flicker, and Paola Mendoza along with award-winning actress Jodie Turner-Smith and international best-selling author and Equality Now 30 for 30 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the fifth annual Changemaker Award presented by Gucci and Chime For Change to recognize the activism of the women and girls of Iran and special performances by the Resistance Revival Chorus, Sage Sovereign, Felukah.
Also in attendance: Maya Hawke, Sarah Cooper, Jeremy O. Harris, Cindi Leive, Emily Alyn Lind, Aasif Mandvi, Patina Miller, Lynn Nottage,...
- 11/25/2022
- Look to the Stars
In late February 2020, Evelyn Yang gathered at Foley Square in Manhattan with a handful of survivors in the hopes of pulling off something unprecedented. Her husband, Andrew Yang, had recently wrapped his presidential campaign, and all of the travel and scheduling demands that went along with that bid had subsided. On that sunny but cold day, she and Weinstein accuser Ambra Gutierrez and a couple of legislators were focused on launching a bill in New York dubbed the Adult Survivors Act. If it passed, New York would become the first...
- 11/18/2022
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Rollingstone.com
Equality Now (En), the leading international women’s rights organization that uses the law to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights, will hold its 30th Anniversary Gala in New York on November 15.
The evening will celebrate the organization’s three decades of gender equality work and the En 30 for 30 list of artists, activists, and advocates (previously announced), and will feature inspiring performances of music, drama, and comedy with art and advocacy supporting equality for women and girls
The gala will celebrate the Equality Now 30 for 30 women and changemakers:
Alanis Morissette, Amandla Stenberg, Amy Ziering, Annie Lennox, Asma Jahangir (posthumously), Ayesha Malik, Brisa De Angulo, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Drew Dixon, Elizabeth Evatt, Gloria Steinem, Hibaaq Osman, Jaha Dukureh, Jane Fonda, Judith Bruce, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Linda Perry, Margaret Atwood, Meaza Ashenafi, Nadeen Ashraf, Paola Mendoza, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (posthumously), Salma Hayek, Sanna Marin, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Sarah Sophie Flicker,...
The evening will celebrate the organization’s three decades of gender equality work and the En 30 for 30 list of artists, activists, and advocates (previously announced), and will feature inspiring performances of music, drama, and comedy with art and advocacy supporting equality for women and girls
The gala will celebrate the Equality Now 30 for 30 women and changemakers:
Alanis Morissette, Amandla Stenberg, Amy Ziering, Annie Lennox, Asma Jahangir (posthumously), Ayesha Malik, Brisa De Angulo, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Drew Dixon, Elizabeth Evatt, Gloria Steinem, Hibaaq Osman, Jaha Dukureh, Jane Fonda, Judith Bruce, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Linda Perry, Margaret Atwood, Meaza Ashenafi, Nadeen Ashraf, Paola Mendoza, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (posthumously), Salma Hayek, Sanna Marin, Sapana Pradhan Malla, Sarah Sophie Flicker,...
- 11/11/2022
- Look to the Stars
Click here to read the full article.
“I’m Eager to Move on Beyond My Identity as a Survivor “
By Drew Dixon, a music producer and writer, and one of several women to accuse mogul Russell Simmons of rape in Dec. 2017. Simmons has denied the allegations.
Drew Dixon
I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into The New York Times five years ago to talk about the most terrifying night of my life. I’d done my best to ignore the #MeToo stories dominating the news for the past several weeks. I kept hoping that the cascade of disturbing revelations wouldn’t implicate Russell Simmons.
I was proud of the other survivors who were coming forward, but I didn’t want to get involved in the #MeToo movement. I didn’t want to think anymore about the long-buried pain of the rape at all, but...
“I’m Eager to Move on Beyond My Identity as a Survivor “
By Drew Dixon, a music producer and writer, and one of several women to accuse mogul Russell Simmons of rape in Dec. 2017. Simmons has denied the allegations.
Drew Dixon
I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into The New York Times five years ago to talk about the most terrifying night of my life. I’d done my best to ignore the #MeToo stories dominating the news for the past several weeks. I kept hoping that the cascade of disturbing revelations wouldn’t implicate Russell Simmons.
I was proud of the other survivors who were coming forward, but I didn’t want to get involved in the #MeToo movement. I didn’t want to think anymore about the long-buried pain of the rape at all, but...
- 9/30/2022
- by THR staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The verdict for the nearly seven-week defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has arrived. On Wednesday, a split verdict was delivered, with the jury finding both parties liable but Depp was awarded 10 million in compensatory damages and 5 million dollars in punitive damages. The jury awarded Heard 2 million in compensatory damages and nothing in punitive damages. Depp had sought 50 million in damages with Heard counter-suing for 100 million.
The consecutive “Yes” answers brought about many reactions playing off the repeated word.
Many approved of the jury’s ruling in Depp’s favor, particularly because of the way Heard went about shaping her angle of the story.
“Make no mistake – majority of the ppl supporting Depp do not think he’s an angel,” one user wrote. “But the mere fact that she went so hard with these ridiculous allegations and She acted like she was an angel; that’s the reason...
The consecutive “Yes” answers brought about many reactions playing off the repeated word.
Many approved of the jury’s ruling in Depp’s favor, particularly because of the way Heard went about shaping her angle of the story.
“Make no mistake – majority of the ppl supporting Depp do not think he’s an angel,” one user wrote. “But the mere fact that she went so hard with these ridiculous allegations and She acted like she was an angel; that’s the reason...
- 6/1/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Time’s Up president and CEO Tina Tchen said Monday that it’s not her “intention” to resign from her post after a New York Times story over the weekend reported “turmoil” at the organization.
Tchen on Monday met with other Time’s Up leaders and founding members to discuss some of the changes ahead in order to address the recent controversy, but said after the meeting that she was still committed to leading the group and that she further has the support of others within the organization.
“It’s not my intention to resign as President and CEO of Time’s Up,” Tchen told Deadline Monday. “I still deeply believe in the vision and the mission of the organization and am committed to doing the work to be the leader the organization and our communities need and deserve.”
A representative for Time’s Up did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Tchen on Monday met with other Time’s Up leaders and founding members to discuss some of the changes ahead in order to address the recent controversy, but said after the meeting that she was still committed to leading the group and that she further has the support of others within the organization.
“It’s not my intention to resign as President and CEO of Time’s Up,” Tchen told Deadline Monday. “I still deeply believe in the vision and the mission of the organization and am committed to doing the work to be the leader the organization and our communities need and deserve.”
A representative for Time’s Up did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
- 8/23/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Tina Tchen says she’s keeping her CEO gig, but change is coming to Time’s Up.
A sometimes-heated set of virtual meetings today with the chagrined gender equity group’s global leadership and founding signatories concluded without the public calls for Tchen to step down or step aside that Deadline reported yesterday.
“It isn’t the time,” one participant on the calls said, citing the extensive amends the Time’s Up President and CEO offered up, along with proposals on how to get the organization back on track after “mission creep” concerns and a series of public and institutional falterings. “We want to see how this pans out before taking matters further,” the participant added of a leadership challenge to Tchen, who has been in the job for almost two years.
“t’s not my intention to resign as President and CEO of Time’s Up,” Tchen told Deadline Monday after the meetings concluded.
A sometimes-heated set of virtual meetings today with the chagrined gender equity group’s global leadership and founding signatories concluded without the public calls for Tchen to step down or step aside that Deadline reported yesterday.
“It isn’t the time,” one participant on the calls said, citing the extensive amends the Time’s Up President and CEO offered up, along with proposals on how to get the organization back on track after “mission creep” concerns and a series of public and institutional falterings. “We want to see how this pans out before taking matters further,” the participant added of a leadership challenge to Tchen, who has been in the job for almost two years.
“t’s not my intention to resign as President and CEO of Time’s Up,” Tchen told Deadline Monday after the meetings concluded.
- 8/23/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Drew Dixon, who spoke about her accusation of rape against Russell Simmons in the 2020 documentary “On the Record,” lashed out at Variety and its leadership Saturday for publishing the contents of her text messages without permission.
“I stand by @OnTheRecordDoc,” the former Def Jam executive tweeted. “I’m disgusted that @Variety printed my private text messages w/o my consent. I feel violated by [executive editor Ramin Setoodeh] and [editor-in-chief Claudia Eller]. Russell Simmons is a rapist. Period. I’m grateful to @janedoefilms for giving a voice to Black survivors.”
The piece in question cited texts from Dixon that said she felt producers of the HBO Max documentary had been “triggering” her in the final months leading up to its premiere. Broadly, the piece focused on Jane Doe Films, which made not only “On the Record,” but “Allen v. Farrow,” and highlighted reported negative experiences of Alexia Norton Jones, who also accused Simmons of rape.
“I stand by @OnTheRecordDoc,” the former Def Jam executive tweeted. “I’m disgusted that @Variety printed my private text messages w/o my consent. I feel violated by [executive editor Ramin Setoodeh] and [editor-in-chief Claudia Eller]. Russell Simmons is a rapist. Period. I’m grateful to @janedoefilms for giving a voice to Black survivors.”
The piece in question cited texts from Dixon that said she felt producers of the HBO Max documentary had been “triggering” her in the final months leading up to its premiere. Broadly, the piece focused on Jane Doe Films, which made not only “On the Record,” but “Allen v. Farrow,” and highlighted reported negative experiences of Alexia Norton Jones, who also accused Simmons of rape.
- 3/13/2021
- by Lindsey Ellefson
- The Wrap
For the past year, Alexia Norton Jones has been in anguish, constantly reliving an experience that she deeply regrets.
On Dec. 30, 2019, Jones flew to Los Angeles from her home in Arizona, to talk to the directors of the documentary “On the Record” about the night in 1990 when she says music mogul Russell Simmons raped her. Jones was a last-minute addition to the film, which features accounts from several women who claim they had been sexually assaulted or attacked by Simmons. “On the Record” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in late January 2020, only three weeks after its directors — Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick — spoke to Jones for roughly two hours, pushing her to recount details of the alleged assault, she says, without caring about her as a person.
“I remember thinking, ‘Is this how documentaries are made?’” Jones says, recalling the time she spent with them. Although she’d talked...
On Dec. 30, 2019, Jones flew to Los Angeles from her home in Arizona, to talk to the directors of the documentary “On the Record” about the night in 1990 when she says music mogul Russell Simmons raped her. Jones was a last-minute addition to the film, which features accounts from several women who claim they had been sexually assaulted or attacked by Simmons. “On the Record” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in late January 2020, only three weeks after its directors — Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick — spoke to Jones for roughly two hours, pushing her to recount details of the alleged assault, she says, without caring about her as a person.
“I remember thinking, ‘Is this how documentaries are made?’” Jones says, recalling the time she spent with them. Although she’d talked...
- 3/13/2021
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with video: For more than 20 years, former music industry executive Drew Dixon held onto a corrosive secret. The HBO Max documentary On the Record, directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, reveals how Dixon made the painful decision to come forward with allegations that she had been raped by her boss at Def Jam Recordings, hip hop impresario Russell Simmons.
“When we first met Drew she…was struggling with actually even going on the record, going public,” Dick says during Deadline’s Contenders Documentary awards-season event. “We thought this stage of a survivor’s journey was really, really important to document, and it is a struggle.”
Dixon said as a woman of color it was agonizing to level accusations against Simmons, a prominent Black entrepreneur, fearing it would contribute to a destructive societal narrative that Black men are “predatory, inherently violent.” She shares how she ultimately resolved that dilemma.
“When we first met Drew she…was struggling with actually even going on the record, going public,” Dick says during Deadline’s Contenders Documentary awards-season event. “We thought this stage of a survivor’s journey was really, really important to document, and it is a struggle.”
Dixon said as a woman of color it was agonizing to level accusations against Simmons, a prominent Black entrepreneur, fearing it would contribute to a destructive societal narrative that Black men are “predatory, inherently violent.” She shares how she ultimately resolved that dilemma.
- 1/10/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The coronavirus pandemic pushed the release of a slew of narrative films into 2021, reducing the number of Best Picture contenders this Oscar season. But it’s a completely different story with documentary. Streaming platforms and other players didn’t hold back their nonfiction slate, and with the Academy relaxing qualification rules, the record for films in contention for Best Documentary is about to be shattered this year.
That makes this the perfect time to launch Deadline’s first Contenders Documentary, a virtual showcase of top nonfiction films this awards season. The event kicks off today at 8 a.m. Pt. Click here to register and join the livestream, and follow along for the day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram via @Deadline and #DeadlineContenders. See the full schedule of panels below.
The Contenders Documentary program, featuring conversations with a raft of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers including Alex Gibney, Liz Garbus, Ron Howard,...
That makes this the perfect time to launch Deadline’s first Contenders Documentary, a virtual showcase of top nonfiction films this awards season. The event kicks off today at 8 a.m. Pt. Click here to register and join the livestream, and follow along for the day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram via @Deadline and #DeadlineContenders. See the full schedule of panels below.
The Contenders Documentary program, featuring conversations with a raft of Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers including Alex Gibney, Liz Garbus, Ron Howard,...
- 1/10/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“This is not just our film. This is Drew’s film and the other survivors as well. They take us into this experience,” says Kirby Dick about “On the Record,” the documentary he directed with his filmmaking partner Amy Ziering. It’s their latest film to explore the subject of rape culture in America — in this case the story of Drew Dixon, a music executive who, along with many other women, came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Dick and Ziering joined us for our “Meet the Experts” documentary panel. Watch our interview with them above.
Dick and Ziering previously made “The Invisible War” (2012), an Oscar-nominated investigation into the epidemic of rape in the US military. A few years later they released “The Hunting Ground” (2015), which explored the prevalence of rape on college campuses. Tragically, there is still no shortage of stories about...
Dick and Ziering previously made “The Invisible War” (2012), an Oscar-nominated investigation into the epidemic of rape in the US military. A few years later they released “The Hunting Ground” (2015), which explored the prevalence of rape on college campuses. Tragically, there is still no shortage of stories about...
- 12/22/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Last week, Equality Now hosted its Make Equality Reality Gala virtually for the first time – and raised over $380,000 and counting to continue their fight for justice for women and girls worldwide.
Meryl Streep at 2020 Make Equality Reality Virtual Gala
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Supporters across the globe tuned in from their homes to see some of their favorite artists and activists highlight the people who inspire and help Equality Now in their pursuit of a more just and equal world.
Karamo introduced us to the activists and filmmakers (Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering) of the acclaimed documentary On the Record, who were honored for their brilliant work at the intersection of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. “For Equality Now to recognize this film, the filmmakers and the participants, it is bound to be encouraging to other women who want to tell really difficult stories,” said activist and author Dr.
Meryl Streep at 2020 Make Equality Reality Virtual Gala
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images
Supporters across the globe tuned in from their homes to see some of their favorite artists and activists highlight the people who inspire and help Equality Now in their pursuit of a more just and equal world.
Karamo introduced us to the activists and filmmakers (Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering) of the acclaimed documentary On the Record, who were honored for their brilliant work at the intersection of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. “For Equality Now to recognize this film, the filmmakers and the participants, it is bound to be encouraging to other women who want to tell really difficult stories,” said activist and author Dr.
- 12/10/2020
- Look to the Stars
For years, music producer Drew Dixon and rapper Sheri Sher kept quiet about Russell Simmons, fearing that naming him as their alleged assaulter would be a betrayal of the hip-hop community and forever label them as “victims.”
“To come out against Russell, who came and brought hip-hop to the major league, me as a Black young woman from the Bronx coming, I used to think, ‘What power would I have? Who’s going to believe me?'” Sher said at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit. “As a Black young woman growing up, you learn to nurture and stand for your hood, especially Black men, men of color in there, and how dare you come out and try to put him down when he’s already being put down by society and police? How dare you? So you had a silence and a code that you had to keep.”
Sher was...
“To come out against Russell, who came and brought hip-hop to the major league, me as a Black young woman from the Bronx coming, I used to think, ‘What power would I have? Who’s going to believe me?'” Sher said at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit. “As a Black young woman growing up, you learn to nurture and stand for your hood, especially Black men, men of color in there, and how dare you come out and try to put him down when he’s already being put down by society and police? How dare you? So you had a silence and a code that you had to keep.”
Sher was...
- 12/8/2020
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
“On the Record,” the HBO Max documentary centering on music producer Drew Dixon and the other women who accused hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault, is receiving some major notices heading into this award season. The film just made it onto the exclusive shortlist at Doc NYC, the most prominent documentary festival in America. “On the Record” is among 15 films chosen by festival programmers that are expected to be “among the year’s strongest contenders for Oscars and other awards,” as stated in the official press release. Considering the festival’s history with foretelling future Oscar success in the Best Documentary Feature race, this could be a sign that the film could indeed be on the path to awards glory.
See‘On the Record’ documentary from HBO Max gives a platform to Black women’s experiences in music industry
What may help “On the Record” earn attention from Academy...
See‘On the Record’ documentary from HBO Max gives a platform to Black women’s experiences in music industry
What may help “On the Record” earn attention from Academy...
- 11/27/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Producer-directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, previously known for “The Invisible War” and “The Hunting Ground,” are back with another documentary about the #MeToo movement via HBO Max called “On the Record.” The Oscar contender for Best Documentary Feature predominantly centers on record producer Drew Dixon, who in December 2017 accused music mogul Russell Simmons of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s while working together at Def Jam Recordings. In the film we follow Dixon as she considers the ramifications of finally telling her story, reaching out to The New York Times and trying to process the aftermath. We also meet some of the other 19 women who came forward with accusations against Simmons.
See‘Time’: Garrett Bradley’s Sundance award-winning documentary about love and incarceration could make Oscar history
While Simmons may be the common thread in “On the Record,” Dick and Ziering deftly shift focus onto the women rather than the hip hop producer,...
See‘Time’: Garrett Bradley’s Sundance award-winning documentary about love and incarceration could make Oscar history
While Simmons may be the common thread in “On the Record,” Dick and Ziering deftly shift focus onto the women rather than the hip hop producer,...
- 10/19/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Sienna Miller’s “Wander Darkly,” Chloe Grace Moretz’s “Shadow in the Cloud” and Winston Duke’s “Nine Days” have been added to the AFI Fest 2020 lineup, as well as a documentary about John Belushi and “On the Record,” featuring Drew Dixon, who alleges sexual abuse by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, the American Film Institute announced on Tuesday. The complete AFI Fest program will include 124 titles, of which 53% are directed by women. 39% of the titles are directed by Bipoc and 17% are directed by LGBTQ+. “AFI Fest is committed to supporting diverse perspectives and new voices in cinema and this year is no different,” Sarah Harris, Director of Programming at AFI Festivals said in a statement. “While we wish we were able to be together in Hollywood, this year’s festival is an opportunity to celebrate the many great films yet to be discovered by audiences across the nation.” Also Read:...
- 10/6/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
An Easy Girl (Rebecca Zlotowski)
The director herself calls An Easy Girl a “simple film on a complex subject,” which is as fine a one-liner as I’ll ever come up with. This is a straightforward coming-of-age story from France, a country for whom this is almost a national cliché, but elevated by a key eye for gender roles of its protagonists and an up-to-date message for a teenage generation growing up in a #MeToo world. – Ed F. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Capone (Josh Trank)
Thanks to a bout of syphilis contracted before the age of fifteen, Alphonse Gabriel “Scarface” Capone found himself trapped inside a prison...
An Easy Girl (Rebecca Zlotowski)
The director herself calls An Easy Girl a “simple film on a complex subject,” which is as fine a one-liner as I’ll ever come up with. This is a straightforward coming-of-age story from France, a country for whom this is almost a national cliché, but elevated by a key eye for gender roles of its protagonists and an up-to-date message for a teenage generation growing up in a #MeToo world. – Ed F. (full review)
Where to Stream: Netflix
Capone (Josh Trank)
Thanks to a bout of syphilis contracted before the age of fifteen, Alphonse Gabriel “Scarface” Capone found himself trapped inside a prison...
- 8/14/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
HBO Max is offering free streaming of the Russell Simmons accuser documentary On the Record via Twitter, YouTube and the WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform.
The offering will kick off tonight with a Twitter Watch Event marking On The Record as the first feature film to be stream on the social media platform as a watch event. Twitter users will have access to the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering on Twitter for 24 hours.
On the Record tells the stories of Simmons' accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they go public with claims of sexual harassment and ...
The offering will kick off tonight with a Twitter Watch Event marking On The Record as the first feature film to be stream on the social media platform as a watch event. Twitter users will have access to the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering on Twitter for 24 hours.
On the Record tells the stories of Simmons' accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they go public with claims of sexual harassment and ...
- 8/13/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO Max is offering free streaming of the Russell Simmons accuser documentary On the Record via Twitter, YouTube and the WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform.
The offering will kick off tonight with a Twitter Watch Event marking On The Record as the first feature film to be stream on the social media platform as a watch event. Twitter users will have access to the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering on Twitter for 24 hours.
On the Record tells the stories of Simmons' accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they go public with claims of sexual harassment and ...
The offering will kick off tonight with a Twitter Watch Event marking On The Record as the first feature film to be stream on the social media platform as a watch event. Twitter users will have access to the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering on Twitter for 24 hours.
On the Record tells the stories of Simmons' accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they go public with claims of sexual harassment and ...
- 8/13/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Misogyny, hip-hop culture and the silencing of women of colour are delicately unpicked in a devastating documentary
‘If you are a rape survivor, you are a crime scene. Your life is a crime scene.” The speaker is the remarkable Drew Dixon, the supremely articulate and charismatic woman whose story is the keynote of this powerful documentary, from Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, about sexual violence and misogyny in the music business – and also about the way the experiences of women of colour have tended to be marginalised and erased from the #MeToo conversation.
Related: On the Record: the music industry #MeToo doc that caused Oprah to turn away...
‘If you are a rape survivor, you are a crime scene. Your life is a crime scene.” The speaker is the remarkable Drew Dixon, the supremely articulate and charismatic woman whose story is the keynote of this powerful documentary, from Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, about sexual violence and misogyny in the music business – and also about the way the experiences of women of colour have tended to be marginalised and erased from the #MeToo conversation.
Related: On the Record: the music industry #MeToo doc that caused Oprah to turn away...
- 6/25/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
If you look hard enough, you can find reason to think of “Athlete A” as an uplifting movie about a young woman who overcame hardship and found success on her own terms – because that’s what Maggie Nichols, the gymnast who left the U.S. Gymnastics team to become a celebrated college champion, did.
But you’ll be hard-pressed to leave “Athlete A” thinking about Nichols’ triumph, because it comes almost as an afterthought to the documentary’s devastating indictment of the culture of mental and physical abuse that flourished for years at U.S. Gymnastics. The climate was fostered by a win-at-all-costs mentality imported from Romania, and included a determination to not just ignore but cover up widespread sexual abuse of the athletes, even if that meant that more young girls would be abused.
The documentary by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, whose other films include “An Inconvenient Sequel,...
But you’ll be hard-pressed to leave “Athlete A” thinking about Nichols’ triumph, because it comes almost as an afterthought to the documentary’s devastating indictment of the culture of mental and physical abuse that flourished for years at U.S. Gymnastics. The climate was fostered by a win-at-all-costs mentality imported from Romania, and included a determination to not just ignore but cover up widespread sexual abuse of the athletes, even if that meant that more young girls would be abused.
The documentary by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, whose other films include “An Inconvenient Sequel,...
- 6/24/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
As protesters and activists around the country are continuing the fight against racial injustice and police brutality, domestic violence activist Sil Lai Abrams knows it can be challenging to “hold space” for an “equally large” issue: sexual violence against black women.
“As a black woman, I can’t separate racism from sexism,” said Abrams, who appears in the new HBO Max documentary “On the Record” in which she and other women detail their accusations of sexual assault by music impresario Russell Simmons. (He has denied the accusations.) “One of the challenges that happens within the movement for black lives is that far too often, the experiences of black women are pushed to the side in favor of the dominant narrative around our race. And I understand why we do this, because it is through racial solidarity that we make advances as the people. At the same time, it is through...
“As a black woman, I can’t separate racism from sexism,” said Abrams, who appears in the new HBO Max documentary “On the Record” in which she and other women detail their accusations of sexual assault by music impresario Russell Simmons. (He has denied the accusations.) “One of the challenges that happens within the movement for black lives is that far too often, the experiences of black women are pushed to the side in favor of the dominant narrative around our race. And I understand why we do this, because it is through racial solidarity that we make advances as the people. At the same time, it is through...
- 6/9/2020
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
HBO Max
The latest streaming service has arrived with HBO Max, which pulls together what was offered on the HBO platform with quite an expanded library. While the WarnerMedia platform is certainly the most scattered of its competitors in terms of the range of content, if you dig deeper, there’s plenty of worthwhile offerings. Led by the Studio Ghibli catalog, they also have a Turner Classic Movies channel, featuring Criterion Collection classics, a Charlie Chaplin collection, landmark westerns, all of the A Star is Borns, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Abyss, and more. Happy watching.
Where to Stream: HBO Max
End of Sentence (Elfar Adalsteins)
To...
HBO Max
The latest streaming service has arrived with HBO Max, which pulls together what was offered on the HBO platform with quite an expanded library. While the WarnerMedia platform is certainly the most scattered of its competitors in terms of the range of content, if you dig deeper, there’s plenty of worthwhile offerings. Led by the Studio Ghibli catalog, they also have a Turner Classic Movies channel, featuring Criterion Collection classics, a Charlie Chaplin collection, landmark westerns, all of the A Star is Borns, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Abyss, and more. Happy watching.
Where to Stream: HBO Max
End of Sentence (Elfar Adalsteins)
To...
- 5/29/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
by Glenn Dunks
To put one’s own story to film often takes some form of personal courage. To not allow any sort of emotional distance between the traumas and the pains of life and the audience will always be a tough line for many to cross. It is why documentaries are so often labelled as merely grim or depressing and placed in a metaphorical too-hard basket. It’s true that many are indeed an emotional trial of sorts, but to watch survivors speak directly to us is one of the things I most cherish about non-fiction filmmaking.
As I watched and listened to the stories of Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Drew Dixon and others unfold in two new documentaries, Rewind and On the Record, I found myself captivated and angry. Angry that this happened in the first place and angry that these films aren’t being spoken about as important works of film.
To put one’s own story to film often takes some form of personal courage. To not allow any sort of emotional distance between the traumas and the pains of life and the audience will always be a tough line for many to cross. It is why documentaries are so often labelled as merely grim or depressing and placed in a metaphorical too-hard basket. It’s true that many are indeed an emotional trial of sorts, but to watch survivors speak directly to us is one of the things I most cherish about non-fiction filmmaking.
As I watched and listened to the stories of Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Drew Dixon and others unfold in two new documentaries, Rewind and On the Record, I found myself captivated and angry. Angry that this happened in the first place and angry that these films aren’t being spoken about as important works of film.
- 5/27/2020
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (“The Hunting Ground”), “On the Record” presents the powerful story of high-ranking music executive Drew Dixon as she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color in the wake of #MeToo to come forward and publicly accuse hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault.
The documentary, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, chronicles not only Dixon’s story but that of other accusers: Sil Lai Abrams, an activist and author who also worked at Def Jam, and Sheri Sher of pioneering all-female hip-hop group Mercedes Ladies. It delves deeply into the ways women of colors’ voices are all too often silenced and ignored when they allege sexual assault — as well as the cultural forces that pressure them to remain silent.
The documentary arrives on HBO Max on May 27 — the same day the...
The documentary, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, chronicles not only Dixon’s story but that of other accusers: Sil Lai Abrams, an activist and author who also worked at Def Jam, and Sheri Sher of pioneering all-female hip-hop group Mercedes Ladies. It delves deeply into the ways women of colors’ voices are all too often silenced and ignored when they allege sexual assault — as well as the cultural forces that pressure them to remain silent.
The documentary arrives on HBO Max on May 27 — the same day the...
- 5/27/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
One of the most anticipated films at Sundance is getting a premiere on new service HBO Max Wednesday — after a highly publicized dustup in which original backers Oprah Winfrey and Apple dropped their support right before its premiere at the festival.
Helmed by veteran filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, On the Record was filmed largely during the height of #MeToo and takes aim at Russell Simmons, the music mogul accused by multiple women of sexual assault and harassment. (Simmons has denied all charges.)
At this year’s Sundance festival,...
Helmed by veteran filmmakers Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, On the Record was filmed largely during the height of #MeToo and takes aim at Russell Simmons, the music mogul accused by multiple women of sexual assault and harassment. (Simmons has denied all charges.)
At this year’s Sundance festival,...
- 5/27/2020
- by Brenna Ehrlich
- Rollingstone.com
This piece originally ran as part of 2020 Sundance Film Festival coverage.
Even if you didn’t know Drew Dixon’s name, you definitely knew the fruits of her labor. The daughter of Washington, D.C., mayor Sharon Pratt and a Stanford alumna, she was an unabashed music fan. Dixon especially loved hip-hop, which is why, when she managed to secure an A&r job at Def Jam Records in the early Nineties, she felt like she’d won the lottery. Her instincts for spotting new artists were peerless; she was...
Even if you didn’t know Drew Dixon’s name, you definitely knew the fruits of her labor. The daughter of Washington, D.C., mayor Sharon Pratt and a Stanford alumna, she was an unabashed music fan. Dixon especially loved hip-hop, which is why, when she managed to secure an A&r job at Def Jam Records in the early Nineties, she felt like she’d won the lottery. Her instincts for spotting new artists were peerless; she was...
- 5/27/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The makers and subjects of On the Record talk about bringing alleged sexual abuse by Russell Simmons to light and why Oprah Winfrey disowned the film
In mid-December 2017, two months after reporting on Harvey Weinstein triggered what is now known as the #MeToo movement, Drew Dixon bought a copy of the New York Times at a coffee shop in Brooklyn, where she moved 25 years prior as a starry-eyed college grad determined to work in music. On the front page was a story titled Three Allege Music Mogul Raped Them, with her name in the first sentence. Dixon thumbed through the pages, finding her black-and-white photo – steely-eyed, braced – central on the page, then turned to her phone, a portal to reactions and blowback for speaking publicly about allegations of rape and sexual harassment by her former boss, the music mogul Russell Simmons. Scrolling, anonymous under her beanie, she silently cried.
Related:...
In mid-December 2017, two months after reporting on Harvey Weinstein triggered what is now known as the #MeToo movement, Drew Dixon bought a copy of the New York Times at a coffee shop in Brooklyn, where she moved 25 years prior as a starry-eyed college grad determined to work in music. On the front page was a story titled Three Allege Music Mogul Raped Them, with her name in the first sentence. Dixon thumbed through the pages, finding her black-and-white photo – steely-eyed, braced – central on the page, then turned to her phone, a portal to reactions and blowback for speaking publicly about allegations of rape and sexual harassment by her former boss, the music mogul Russell Simmons. Scrolling, anonymous under her beanie, she silently cried.
Related:...
- 5/26/2020
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
HBO Max’s “On the Record” is a searing look at sexual harassment allegations against music mogul Russell Simmons.
The documentary follows former Def Jam Records executive Drew Dixon, who has accused Simmons of rape and sexual harassment. Other survivors — Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Hines — and academic thought leaders — Kimberelé Crenshaw, Joan Morgan, and Tarana Burke — also share their stories in the doc.
Directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the team behind “The Hunting Ground” (about rape on American college campuses) and “The Invisible War” (about rape in the military), are no strangers to lensing stories on the tough subject.
As Dixon lets us into the powerful world of hip-hop, she exposes the ugly truth behind closed doors, recalling how Simmons exposed himself to her and persuaded her to come to his apartment on another occasion.
The film (streaming beginning May 27) received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film...
The documentary follows former Def Jam Records executive Drew Dixon, who has accused Simmons of rape and sexual harassment. Other survivors — Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Hines — and academic thought leaders — Kimberelé Crenshaw, Joan Morgan, and Tarana Burke — also share their stories in the doc.
Directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the team behind “The Hunting Ground” (about rape on American college campuses) and “The Invisible War” (about rape in the military), are no strangers to lensing stories on the tough subject.
As Dixon lets us into the powerful world of hip-hop, she exposes the ugly truth behind closed doors, recalling how Simmons exposed himself to her and persuaded her to come to his apartment on another occasion.
The film (streaming beginning May 27) received rave reviews out of the Sundance Film...
- 5/20/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In the first trailer for the explosive #MeToo documentary “On The Record,” Drew Dixon talks about how she found the strength to publicly accuse hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault and how enduring that attack made her feel like she was “reduced to nothing.”
“I didn’t say anything about what happened with Russell. He just grabbed me. He just grabbed me. And on saying no, I was reduced to nothing in that moment,” Dixon says in the trailer. “Nothing about anything that makes me who I am mattered.”
“On The Record” is the latest film directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who brought you “The Hunting Ground” and “The Invisible War.” And their film follows Dixon and accusers Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Sher as they recount their time at Def Jam Records and the emotional struggle they went through in choosing to speak to the New York Times,...
“I didn’t say anything about what happened with Russell. He just grabbed me. He just grabbed me. And on saying no, I was reduced to nothing in that moment,” Dixon says in the trailer. “Nothing about anything that makes me who I am mattered.”
“On The Record” is the latest film directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, who brought you “The Hunting Ground” and “The Invisible War.” And their film follows Dixon and accusers Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Sher as they recount their time at Def Jam Records and the emotional struggle they went through in choosing to speak to the New York Times,...
- 4/21/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The controversial documentary about the women who came forward about Russell Simmons allegedly sexual assaulting them now has a trailer and release date.
On Tuesday, HBO Max debuted the first official trailer for On the Record, which is set to premiere on May 27 with the launch of the brand-new streaming service. The film centers on Drew Dixon as she grapples with the decision to publicly share her experience during the changing tides of the #MeToo movement.
“I’ve been a victim for 22 years,” says Dixon in the trailer. “I’m tired of being a victim.”
In 2017, Dixon told The New York Times...
On Tuesday, HBO Max debuted the first official trailer for On the Record, which is set to premiere on May 27 with the launch of the brand-new streaming service. The film centers on Drew Dixon as she grapples with the decision to publicly share her experience during the changing tides of the #MeToo movement.
“I’ve been a victim for 22 years,” says Dixon in the trailer. “I’m tired of being a victim.”
In 2017, Dixon told The New York Times...
- 4/21/2020
- by Benjamin VanHoose
- PEOPLE.com
HBO Max has released the first official trailer for “On the Record,” Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s investigative documentary about the sexual assault allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. The film focuses mainly on music executive Drew Dixon, a producer of hit records by 2Pac, Method Man, and Mary J. Blige, who became the first woman of color to go on the record with her allegations.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it prompted backlash from Simmons supporters.
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Here’s the official logline from HBO Max: “Directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, and first reported by The New York Times, ‘On the Record’ presents the haunting story of music...
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it prompted backlash from Simmons supporters.
More from IndieWire'Valley Girl' Trailer: Long-Delayed Musical Remake of '80s Cult Classic Bound for Digital ReleaseIliza Shlesinger Is Beating the Apocalypse With Home Cooking and Two New Shows
Here’s the official logline from HBO Max: “Directed and produced by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, and first reported by The New York Times, ‘On the Record’ presents the haunting story of music...
- 4/21/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
"He just grabbed me... I was reduced to nothing in that moment..." HBO Max has unveiled an official trailer for the acclaimed documentary On the Record, which originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to quite a bit of buzz and positive reviews. Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering's new doc film On the Record presents the powerful and haunting story of music executive Drew Dixon as she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color, in the wake of #MeToo, to come forward and publicly name hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual assault. The documentary chronicles not only Dixon’s story but that of several other accusers – Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Sher. The film was made entirely in secret, and the title was revealed only a week before the premiere at Sundance. I caught this at the fest and yes -...
- 4/21/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
When HBO Max launches later next month, along with the Studio Ghibli library, Turner Classic Movies selections, and more of the back catalog, there will be a number of original projects. One of the most notable is On the Record, Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s immensely powerful new documentary that explores the sexual assault allegations against Russell Simmons from Drew Dixon and others. Ahead of a May 27 release, the first trailer has now arrived.
I said in my review, “Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s conventional but powerful new documentary On the Record is as much about the personal struggle of Drew Dixon and others in telling their stories of horrifying sexual misconduct at the hands of hip-hop legend Russell Simmons as it is about how the voices of black women have been marginalized throughout history, leading to a reticence to speak out, especially in these last few years.
I said in my review, “Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s conventional but powerful new documentary On the Record is as much about the personal struggle of Drew Dixon and others in telling their stories of horrifying sexual misconduct at the hands of hip-hop legend Russell Simmons as it is about how the voices of black women have been marginalized throughout history, leading to a reticence to speak out, especially in these last few years.
- 4/21/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
HBO Max just dropped trailers for its inaugural programming slate, which includes a comedic anthology headlined by Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick, as well as an underground ballroom competition, judged in part by The Good Place‘s Jameela Jamil.
Premiering on Wednesday, May 27, Love Life “is about the journey from first love to last love, and how the people we’re with along the way make us into who we are when we finally end up with someone forever,” per the official logline. “The series will follow a different protagonist’s quest for love each season, with each half-hour episode telling...
Premiering on Wednesday, May 27, Love Life “is about the journey from first love to last love, and how the people we’re with along the way make us into who we are when we finally end up with someone forever,” per the official logline. “The series will follow a different protagonist’s quest for love each season, with each half-hour episode telling...
- 4/21/2020
- TVLine.com
HBO’s new streaming service, HBO Max, will officially launch May 27th with a slate of original programming that includes a new comedy starring Anna Kendrick, an underground ballroom and voguing competition and a new talk show starring Sesame Street‘s Elmo.
HBO Max’s new programming will sit alongside all of HBO’s new and old shows, plus various shows and movies from the vast WarnerMedia library.
As for HBO Max’s new programming, highlights include Love Life, an anthology rom-com that will chronicle one protagonist’s romantic relationships each season.
HBO Max’s new programming will sit alongside all of HBO’s new and old shows, plus various shows and movies from the vast WarnerMedia library.
As for HBO Max’s new programming, highlights include Love Life, an anthology rom-com that will chronicle one protagonist’s romantic relationships each season.
- 4/21/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
HBO Max has finally revealed its launch date and along with that announcement on Tuesday came a slew of trailers for all of the WarnerMedia-owned streaming service’s original titles that will be available on day one, along with its large catalogue of library content.
Among those new programs you can look forward to diving into when the platform launches May 27 are scripted comedy “Love Life,” starring Anna Kendrick; Russell Simmons accuser documentary film “On the Record,” Sesame Workshop’s “The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo,” which is a late-show starring the little red monster himself; new “Looney Tunes” cartoons; underground ballroom competition “Legendary”; and kids’ crafting series “Craftopia.”
HBO Max will cost $14.99 a month, the same price as an HBO-only subscription. The price makes HBO Max among the most expensive services, when compared to Netflix, Hulu and fellow newer entrants like Peacock, Quibi, Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Also...
Among those new programs you can look forward to diving into when the platform launches May 27 are scripted comedy “Love Life,” starring Anna Kendrick; Russell Simmons accuser documentary film “On the Record,” Sesame Workshop’s “The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo,” which is a late-show starring the little red monster himself; new “Looney Tunes” cartoons; underground ballroom competition “Legendary”; and kids’ crafting series “Craftopia.”
HBO Max will cost $14.99 a month, the same price as an HBO-only subscription. The price makes HBO Max among the most expensive services, when compared to Netflix, Hulu and fellow newer entrants like Peacock, Quibi, Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Also...
- 4/21/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
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