Russell Simmons is facing renewed legal pressure from multiple women who accuse him of sexual misconduct, after they say the Def Jam co-founder missed a key settlement payment deadline just days after publicly demanding “hundreds of millions” of dollars from HBO over its documentary On the Record.[1][2] The dispute is unfolding in New York, where three accusers are now reportedly asking the court to enforce more than $3.4 million they claim Simmons still owes under recently negotiated settlement agreements.[1]
According to AllHipHop, court filings submitted this week in New York Supreme Court by attorneys for Sheri Abernathy, Sil Lai Abrams and Wendy Carolina Franco state that Simmons agreed to confidential settlements in October 2025, supported by signed confessions of judgment that allowed the women to seek higher amounts if he defaulted.[1] The documents allege Simmons failed to pay by a January 1 deadline, prompting the women to pursue increased “confessed” amounts—approximately $1.61 million each for Abernathy and Abrams and about $711,000 for Franco, including 9 percent annual interest and enforcement costs.[1] Their claims stem from long-standing accusations of sexual assault and coercion, many of which were highlighted in HBO’s 2020 documentary On the Record.[1][3]
The latest filings arrived just one day after Simmons used Threads to dramatically escalate his battle with HBO, writing, “HBO you owe me 100s of millions of dollars,” and insisting he needed the money “for all my charities and family members, specifically my children.”[1][2] According to The Source, Simmons’ January 8, 2026 post accused the network of “horrific and malicious” conduct tied to the documentary and framed his demand as restitution for what he claims were career and reputational damages.[2] This online broadside followed a June 2025 defamation lawsuit in which Simmons sued Warner Bros. Discovery and the filmmakers for at least $20 million, alleging On the Record misrepresented his relationships and ignored evidence he says undermines several women’s accounts.[1][3]
The new payment dispute is part of a broader legal and cultural reckoning around Simmons, who has been accused by multiple women, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, activist Sil Lai Abrams and screenwriter Jenny Lumet, of rape or sexual assault in incidents dating back decades.[1][3] Simmons has consistently denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex and has not admitted wrongdoing in any settlements, publicly claiming he has “never been violent.”[1] HBO has maintained its support for the women featured in On the Record and has pledged to continue defending the documentary and its directors in court.[1][3] The clash between Simmons’ nine-figure public claims against HBO and the millions his accusers say he still owes underscores how his legacy—and his finances—remain deeply entangled with the #MeToo-era allegations that reshaped the conversation around power and accountability in hip-hop and entertainment.[1][2][3]
