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Russell Simmons has finally resolved a financial dispute with three of his sexual misconduct accusers, who he had allegedly failed to pay out agreed settlements to for more than a year. The women, Wendy Franco, Sil Lai Abrams, and Sherri Abernathy, claimed in court documents in 2024 that the Def Jam co-founder still owed them over $3 million in agreements from 2023. Their attorney recently told Rolling Stone that "the matter has been resolved." No additional details were provided. Speaking with the outlet back in April, Franco said of Simmons' delay in payment: “It was devastating. I just felt so stupid that I thought this person would follow through, that I thought that someone who could do what he did would turn around and acknowledge me and make some type of amends. You exposed yourself to this, and now this person again shows you that it doesn’t matter to him.” Franco has not detailed her specific allegations against Simmons publicly, but her settlement paperwork references “physical injuries and sickness.” Abernathy, on the other hand, alleges that Simmons raped her in 1983. Abrams further alleges that Simmons raped her in 1994. Russell Simmons "On The Record" Russell Simmons has denied the allegations against him on several occasions. Earlier this year, he filed a defamation lawsuit against HBO over the documentary, On The Record. The film detailed allegations of sexual abuse against Simmons back in 2020. He is seeking $20 million in the case. “Despite voluminous support for Mr Simmons in the form of credible information, persuasive evidence, witness statements, and calls for further investigation by notable members of the media, politics, and the civil rights movement, the defendants simply disregarded it, and released, and continue to re-release globally, a film that tremendously disparaged and damaged Mr Simmons with salacious and defamatory accusations that he vehemently denies,” Simmons' legal team said at the time, according to The Guardian.
