People have joked about Russell Simmons fleeing to Bali to escape possible legal action for years, but the accusations against him are no laughing matter.
via: Radar Online
Simmons was served in Bali, where the media mogul now resides, with a lawsuit on behalf of former music executive and sexual assault accuser Drew Dixon.
Daniel John Ayoub, a process server, stated that he caught up with Simmons at Gdas Bali Health And Wellness Resort, owned by the Phat Farm creator, on March 5 around 12:30 PM local time, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Dixon, a former staffer of Def Jam Recordings, took legal action against Simmons for defamation, having alleged that she was raped by the star in 1995.
The plaintiff claimed that Simmons engaged in a “concerted and malicious campaign to discredit” her by undermining rape accusations from six different women.
RadarOnline.com should note the complaint alleges that Simmons defamed her in a December podcast interview, during which he “subjected Ms. Dixon to public ridicule, contempt, and disgrace by, among other things, calling Ms. Dixon a liar in published statements with the malicious intent of discrediting and further damaging Ms. Dixon worldwide.”
During the podcast interview, Simmons said, “I’ve never been forceful in any of my relationships” and that all were “consensual.” He also insinuated the claimants could be seeking “notoriety in the market where people thirst for fame.”
“If you slept with as many people as I slept with. Thousands. And we’re talking about six people,” he also said on the In Depth With Graham Besinger podcast.
Per the suit, Simmons “continued this pattern of defamation” through January 2024.
Ayoub spent more than an hour searching for Simmons before he found him, noting he had seen photos of the mogul on Instagram, in YouTube videos, and online in media reports so he could confirm it was indeed him.
“Simmons stopped speaking to the woman who was standing next to him,” according to the service document, which noted two other people at his table.
“I said, ‘Excuse me, Mr. Simmons, sorry to interrupt your meeting.’ I then handed the service documents in an envelope and said, ‘This is for you.'”
After learning that he had been served from the State of New York, Simmons quickly dropped the envelope on the table and reportedly said, “Ah f—, s—.”
Simmons appeared to be caught off guard while receiving the documents, following which he contacted his security team and other associates.
