Music mogul Russell Simmons has vowed to fight sexual misconduct allegations against him, insisting he has evidence to prove his innocence.
The Def Jam Recordings co-founder recently stepped down from his companies after former model Keri Claussen Khalighi and screenwriter Jenny Lumet accused him of sexual assault in November (17).
On Wednesday (13Dec17), Simmons was hit with accusations of sexual misconduct, rape and assault from a group of other women in exposes published in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
Simmons has vehemently denied the allegations and is now insisting he will present evidence to prove his innocence.
"Today, I begin to properly defend myself," he writes in a post on Instagram. "I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges. Today, I will focus on 'The Original Sin' (Keri Claussen), the claim that created this insane pile on of my #MeToo. Stay tuned!
"We'll share information today... And tomorrow the case of Jenny Lumet. My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable. #NotMe Again, this is not a movement against or even in conjunction with #Metoo. It's just a statement about my innocence."
This is the second note Simmons has posted on the social media site this week. In his first message he stated he has "never had a sexual encounter that was not consensual or lawful," and that the accusations against him had "shocked me to my core".
"What I will not accept is responsibility for what I have not done," he wrote. "I will relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence."
