On Sunday, Russell Simmons posted a video to his Instagram page of Usher paying him a visit in Bali. The Def Jam co-founder has been accused of sexual misconduct and rape by at least a dozen women over the past five years; for the singer to associate himself with the mogul and have it documented on social media is disappointing to say the least.
Last month, former Def Jam Recordings executive Drew Dixon—who has alleged for years that she was raped by Russell Simmons in 1995—sued Simmons for enacting a “concerted and malicious campaign to discredit her.” Dixon also was featured in the 2020 documentary “On The Record,” which explored the alleged crimes Simmons committed in depth.
When the allegations against Simmons came to light in 2017, he quickly fled to Bali—a province which has no extradition treaty with the United States. Over the weekend, he posted a video montage with the “Confessions” crooner with the caption:
“When i was at the lowest point in my life i woke up and this man was sitting by my bed .. i had known usher since he was a kid but we really bonded because of our mutual love for self discovery and our belief in Yogic science as a direct route to realizing Gods conciousness in ourselves ...People remember to remember this ..a friend walks in when others walk out ... i will never forget the generosity of spirit i witnessed in this man God bless you baby bro @usher 🙏🏾 love you !!!!”
For years, Simmons has denied the claims against him and it would be obtuse to assume the celebrities and musicians he has worked with would completely sever ties with him. However, it is shocking for Usher to allow the music industry titan to post images of the pair spending time together.
Usher has received his flowers tenfold since his Super Bowl LVIII performance and is riding pretty high nowadays. He married his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer Goicoechea, the same night he performed at the popular sporting event. He also released a new album in February called “Coming Home” coupled with an international tour that is selling extremely well.
Seemingly, Simmons is attempting to cash in on Usher’s boost in popularity. However, it just makes them both look worse. For Usher fans, it’s a cruel reminder that even your fav can’t help but to support a man who so many women call a predator.