photo credit: lev radin
Russell Simmons is being accused of rape by his 18th victim. Alexia Norton Jones, the granddaughter of W.W. Norton says she went on a date with Simmons back in November 1990. She says it was a pleasant night out, that ended in Simmons inviting her to his apartment in downtown Manhattan. Jones says that once in the apartment, Simmons pinned her against a wall and raped her. “It was such a fast attack,” she told Variety. “He pulled my dress up. I must have said no seven to 10 times.”
Jones filed a police report on Simmons last spring, almost 3 decades after the incident. The statue of limitations for the case have passed, but Jones wants to stand alongside the other accusers of Simmons. She is seeking no type of money from the case, just hoping to be support for the others.
In an issued statement to Variety, Simmons denied assaulting Jones. “I’m deeply saddened by this story from Alexia,” Simmons said. “At no time did she share these feelings about her first sexual encounter with me, which took place roughly 28 years ago. I have taken multiple lie detector tests that affirm I never sexually assaulted anyone. Alexia and I dated, were intimate and attended multiple events together after she alleges the incident occurred in 1990. I considered her a friend for all these years and continue to have a warm relationship with members of her family. I believe we last spoke in 2006 when she called to express her disappointment over the fact that I had not attended an event honoring her father.”
Simmons’ representative also provided a written statement by his driver, Kenneth L. Jennings, who has worked for him since 1989. “I recall driving Mr. Simmons and Alexia Jones on about 10 to 12 dates in or about 1990,” the statement read. “Their relationship lasted approximately five months.”
Jones denies ever dating Simmons. Jones does confirm that she did call Simmons one 12 years ago to ask why he hadn’t attend the event to honor her father. Adding that she never told her father about the incident between her and Simmons.