Another American celebrity has been accused of sexual molestation. Model Keri Khaligi has just spoken up after 26years, she alleged that Russell Simmons forcefully assaulted her sexually while Brett Rayner watched.
In 1991, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons reportedly forced a young model to perform oral sex while filmmaker Brett Ratner watched it all happen. Simmons and Ratner both dispute that telling of what occurred.
Russell Wendell Simmons is an American entrepreneur, producer and author. The chairman and CEO of Rush Communications, he cofounded the hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons had a net worth estimated at $340 million in 2011.
Keri Claussen Khalighi was 17 at the time, according to keri Khaligi, Ratner didn’t participate, but he also didn’t respond when she asked him to intervene.
In her words “I looked over at Brett and said ‘help me’ and I’ll never forget the look on his face, In that moment, the realization fell on me that they were in it together.”
Khalighi met with the two men at a casting call in 1991. After having dinner at a fancy New York City restaurant, they headed to Simmons apartment, ostensibly to take a look at a music video the two men had been working on.
That’s not what happened, however. As Khalighi revealed, Simmons became aggressive, tearing her clothes off and despite her protestations forces her to perform oral sex. All the while, Ratner “just sat there and watched.”
Khalighi said she went to take a shower to clean herself but minutes later, she alleged, Simmons walked up behind her in the shower and briefly penetrated her without her consent. She said she jerked away, then he left. “It hurt so much.”
Speaking to the paper himself, Simmons disputed the account, stating anything that occurred between Kalighi and himself came with her “full consent and participation.”
Ratner, through his attorney, also noted that he had no recollection of Khalighi’s plea for help and never saw her protest. Ratner is currently facing issues of his own as multiple women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct too.