Exclusive: Real reason Oprah pulled from Russell Simmons abuse film weeks before HBO premiere revealed in court docs
Winfrey leaves the film
Winfrey withdrew as executive producer of “On The Record” shortly before its 2020 Sundance premiere. She had told the filmmakers that she would remove her name if they did not pull the Apple documentary from the festival.
In a statement, Winfrey said she supported the women and believed their stories deserved to be heard. She said she and the filmmakers were not aligned on the creative vision and that more work was needed to show the full scope of what the women endured. Speaking to “CBS This Morning,” Winfrey said she wanted to get the story right and thought some accounts contained inconsistencies.
Court filing raises another possibility
On Friday, attorneys for Drew Dixon filed papers in a case Simmons brought against Warner Brothers Discovery, which aired the film on HBO. The filing included a letter from the filmmakers to Winfrey that addressed doubts about Dixon reportedly raised by an unnamed friend.
The letter appears to respond to concerns that Dixon had been romantically involved with Simmons when she was allegedly attacked and sought fame and money through her accusation. Dixon has denied being in a relationship with Simmons at the time. The article does not identify the friend.
Filmmakers challenge the claims
The filmmakers answered the claims point by point in their letter. They argued that even if the allegations about Dixon’s motives or relationship were true, those circumstances would not establish that she had not been raped.
Dixon accused Simmons in 2017 of raping her in 1995. Simmons has strongly denied the allegation, and later sued Dixon for defamation after saying in an interview that she was lying.
Simmons denies wrongdoing
A total of 12 women have accused Simmons of rape, attempted rape or other sexual misconduct, according to the article. He resigned from Def Jam in 2017 and has not been charged with any crimes.
The court papers suggest Winfrey’s decision may have been influenced by concerns about Dixon, while her public explanations cited inconsistencies and creative differences. The reporting does not establish that those concerns were the sole reason she left the film.
Key points
- Winfrey withdrew as executive producer weeks before “On The Record” premiered at Sundance in 2020.
- Court papers include a filmmakers’ letter responding to concerns attributed to an unnamed friend.
- Dixon accused Simmons of raping her in 1995; Simmons denies the allegation.
- Twelve women have accused Simmons of sexual misconduct, and he has not been charged with a crime.