Russell Simmons has been ordered to pay $3 million to three women who accused him of sexual misconduct. The payout follows Simmons’ failure to meet the settlement terms he had previously agreed to. The women involved—Sil Lai Abrams, Sherri Abernathy, and Wendy Carolina Franco—had struck confidential settlement agreements with Simmons in November 2023.
According to court documents obtained by Variety, the settlements required Simmons to pay $1,265,000 each to Abrams and Abernathy, and $515,000 to Franco by October 1, 2024. However, according to court documents filed on October 2 in New York County Supreme Court, Simmons has not made these payments. The court filings, referred to as “confessions of judgment,” enable the accusers to expedite the process of collecting the money owed.
Allegations of Misconduct Against Russell Simmons
Abrams, a journalist and activist, has been vocal about her experience, accusing Simmons of raping her in 1994. While the specific allegations of Abernathy and Franco were not detailed in the court documents, all three women have claimed they were victimized by the Def Jam Records cofounder. Despite the legal settlements, Simmons has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining his innocence.
In 2020, Abrams participated in the documentary On the Record, which examined Black women’s experiences in the music industry, including her allegations against Simmons. Over the years, more than 20 women have come forward accusing Simmons of sexual misconduct, with some cases dating as far back as the 1990s.
Legal Consequences
Though Simmons did not admit guilt in the settlements, his failure to pay has triggered legal action. The confessions of judgment were intended to act as a safeguard for the plaintiffs, ensuring that they could seek compensation without further delay in the event of a default. The women’s legal representatives, however, have not publicly commented on the situation.
Simmons, who now lives in Bali, has previously stated that he had passed multiple lie detector tests in relation to the allegations, claiming he had been in “compromising situations” but never committed any violent acts.