Luann de Lesseps has accused Russell Simmons of groping her a few years ago when they were both at Soho Beach House in Miami.
The Real Housewives of New York star spoke candidly about her alleged experience with the The Daily Beast in an article published on Friday, April 6.
“He grabbed my ass in an elevator, he was just a pig. I haven’t told anybody about that before. I was grossed out. I was like ‘How dare you.’ He invaded me, he took advantage of me, being who he is, thinking he is all ‘it,’ all everything. He thought he could just do that,” she told the outlet. “I looked at him and said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ De Lesseps also told the publication that the hip hop mogul didn’t apologize.
The “Money Can’t Buy You Class” singer, 52, isn’t the only woman to accuse the 60-year-old of inappropriate behavior. As previously reported, Simmons was hit with a $10 million lawsuit on March 23 by an anonymous woman who alleged that he sexually assaulted her. Us Weekly obtained documents that confirmed the woman had filed three complaints against Simmons for forcible rape, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress at Los Angeles Country Superior Court.
Prior to the lawsuit, in December 2017, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times published accounts by nine women who accused him from acts varying from misconduct and assault. To date, he has been accused of rape by six different women. Simmons denied all of the allegations and shared a statement on Instagram after the reports made headlines, writing, “I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges … My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable. #NotMe.”
In a statement to Us Weekly, Simmons said, “I am blessed to have shared extraordinary relationships, whether through work or love, with many great women and I have enormous respect for the women’s movement worldwide and their struggle for respect, dignity, equality and power. I am devastated by any reason I may have given to anyone to say or think of me in the ways that are currently being described. I have separated myself from my businesses and charities in order to not become a distraction. I have re-dedicated myself to spiritual learning, healing and working on behalf of the communities to which I have devoted my life. I have accepted that I can and should get dirt on my sleeves if it means witnessing the birth of a new consciousness about women. What I cannot accept is responsibility for what I have not done. The current allegations range from the patently untrue to the frivolous and hurtful.”
