Screenwriter Jenny Lumet is the latest woman to come forward to accuse Russell Simmons of sexual assault. Following these new allegations, Simmons has stepped down from his businesses, causing a lot of raised eyebrows.
The Rachel Getting Married writer revealed her e is the daughter of award-winning director, Sidney Lumet and the granddaughter of iconic Hollywood actress Lena Horne.
In an open letter, published via The Hollywood Reporter, Lumet describes the traumatic event, writing:
“You moved me into a bedroom. I said “Wait.” You said nothing. I made the trade in my mind. I thought “just keep him calm and you’ll get home.” Maybe another person would have thought differently, or not made the trade. It was dark, but not pitch dark. You closed the door. At that point, I simply did what I was told. There was penetration. At one point you were only semi-erect and appeared frustrated. Angry? I remember being afraid that you would deem that my fault and become violent. I did not know if you were angry, but I was afraid that you were. 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. You told me to turn over on my stomach. You said something about a part of my body. You did not ejaculate inside me.”
Lumet’s graphic account of what transpired between her and Simmons is nothing short of disturbing. To read the full letter, you can head to THR by clicking here.
Simmons was also accused of assaulting model Keri Claussen Khalighi, to which he released to following statement claiming that their interaction as consensual.
While i am totally devastated that she is hurting and pained by her experience the “assault” didn’t happen. pic.twitter.com/XgN5iVMjrP
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) November 22, 2017
As the stories of sexual assault, rape, and abuse of power continue to pour out of Hollywood, one can only hope that this purging of the industry will ultimately lead to a safer, more transparent culture within the entertainment industry. One thing we can be sure of is that Jenny Lumet will not be the last victim to step forward. The rape culture in Hollywood is decades long.
Who knows how deep the rabbit hole goes? It is time to drain the swamp!
