A judge has dismissed $10 million sexual assault lawsuit against hip hop mogul Russesll Simmons because the case reportedly fell out of the statute of limitations. The victim of the alleged assault, who is going by Jane Doe, accused Simmons of sexual battery and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress stemming from an alleged 1988 incident.
L.A. Superior Court Judge Mark H. Epstein ruled that Doe would have had to file her suit against Simmons by 2014 at the latest. Statute of limitations laws when applied to sexual cases have attracted criticism over the years, as assault victims may struggle with coming forward against their accusers.
Simmons was first confronted with allegations of sexual assault in late 2017 and left his position at Def Jam following his second accusation. Another woman came forward with accusations against the figure in the summer of 2018, with Simmons eventually facing accusations from over 20 women in total.
These accusations will be the focus of an upcoming HBO documentary called On The Record, which was moved to HBO Max after Oprah Winfrey dropped out of the project. Simmons has vehemently denied all accusations of sexual assault.
“What I will not accept is responsibility for what I have not done. I have conducted my life with a message of peace and love. Although I have been candid about how I have lived in books and interviews detailing my flaws, I will relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence,” Simmons wrote in a statement.
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