Russell Simmons steps down from companies amid new allegation

Russell Simmons has stepped away from his companies following a second allegation of sexual misconduct, though the Def Jam founder again denied ever being violent.

Rachel Getting Marriedscreenwriter Jenny Lumet the daughter of filmmaker Sidney Lumetand granddaughter of singer Lena Horne wrote an essay published by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday in which she recalled a night around 1991 when Simmons took her to his New York apartment and had sex with her, despite her repeated demands that he stop.

"I felt dread and disorientation.I wanted to go home.I said I wanted to go home.I didn't recognize the man next to me. I didn't know if the situation would turn violent.I remember thinking that I must be crazy; I remember hoping that the Russell I knew would return any moment," wrote Lumet.

"I desperately wanted to keep the situation from escalating. I wanted you to feel that I was not going to be difficult. I wanted to stay as contained as I could."

Simmons says in a statement released after the essay that although Lumet's memory of the night is "very different" from his, it's clear to him "that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real."

He apologized for being "thoughtless and insensitive" in some of his relationships and said he would resign from his businesses because, "I don't want to be a distraction."

Lumet wrote that she never told anyone about that night until last month after allegations lodged against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein unleashed a torrent of stories about sexual misbehaviour in multiple fields. She said she went public after model Keri Claussen Khalighi said Simmons coerced her to perform a sex act and later penetrated her without her consent in his New York apartment in 1991.

Simmons, 60, denied those allegations, saying everything that occurred between himself and Khalighi was completely consensual and with her "full participation." He suggested that Khalighi's accusation came from feeling shame.

"I'm deeply saddened and truly shocked to learn of Keri's assertions as to what happened over the course of that weekend," Simmons said. He later wrote that he "never committed any acts of aggression or violence in my life" or would "never knowingly cause fear or harm to anyone."

Def Jam Recordings was founded in 1984 by Simmons and Rick Rubin, making stars of such hip-hop artists as LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Its roster currently includes Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Frank Ocean, Alessia Cara, Jeremih, Jeezy, Iggy Azalea, Big Sean and 2 Chainz.

Simmons' empire includes the Argyleculture clothing line, Rush Communications, yoga centres, the energy drink Celsius and the film and television production company Def Pictures.

Simmons is the latest figure in the entertainment world felled by accusations of misconduct, a list that includes comedian Louis C.K., Pixar and Disney Animation chief John Lasseter, actors Kevin Spacey and Jeffrey Tambor, writer-director James Toback and NBC anchor Matt Lauer.

Russel Simmons' full statement:

"I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumet's recollection about our night together in 1991. I know Jenny and her family and have seen her several times over the years since the evening she described. While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely and humbly apologize.

"This is a time of great transition. The voices of the voiceless, those who have been hurt or shamed, deserve and need to be heard. As the corridors of power inevitably make way for a new generation, I don't want to be a distraction so I am removing myself from the businesses that I founded. The companies will now be run by a new and diverse generation of extraordinary executives who are moving the culture and consciousness forward. I will convert the studio for yogic science into a not-for-profit centre of learning and healing. As for me, I will step aside and commit myself to continuing my personal growth, spiritual learning and above all to listening."