Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 1 hr ago
Court filing sheds light on why Oprah left Russell Simmons documentary
In 2020, Oprah Winfrey left a documentary about allegations against Russell Simmons weeks before its planned Sundance premiere.
Winfrey had said she saw inconsistencies in the film and was not aligned with its creative direction.
A court filing suggests concerns raised by a friend also influenced her decision: the friend reportedly claimed Drew Dixon had been in a relationship with Simmons and sought fame and money.
Dixon has denied being in a relationship with Simmons at the time of the alleged rape and has said he defamed her by calling her claim a lie.
The filmmakers rejected the claims about Dixon, arguing that even a consensual relationship or a desire for fame would not mean she could not have been raped.
Simmons has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime; 12 women have accused him of rape, attempted rape or other sexual misconduct.
The dispute is continuing in court, where Dixon has sued Simmons for defamation and Simmons has sued Warner Bros.
Discovery over the film.
Court papers suggest Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 departure as executive producer of On The Record may have followed doubts raised by a friend about accuser Drew Dixon’s motives and relationship with Russell Simmons.
The papers include a letter from the filmmakers responding to those doubts and arguing they did not undermine Dixon’s rape claim.
Winfrey had publicly said she saw “inconsistencies” and that she and the filmmakers were not aligned on the film’s creative vision.
Dixon has accused Simmons of rape and sued him for defamation after he called her claim a lie; Simmons denies wrongdoing.
Simmons also sued Warner Brothers Discovery over its airing of the documentary on HBO.
- Who
- Oprah Winfrey, Drew Dixon, Russell Simmons and the filmmakers of On The Record.
- What
- Court papers shed light on why Winfrey left as an executive producer of the documentary.
- When
- Winfrey withdrew in January 2020, weeks before the film’s Sundance premiere. The court papers were reported on November 3, 2026.
- Where
- The film was due to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The location of the court case is not stated.
- Why
- The papers suggest Winfrey had concerns based on a friend’s claims about Dixon’s relationship with Simmons and her motives. The filmmakers disputed those claims.
Drew Dixon
Russell Simmons
Alleged rape
Drew Dixon
Dixon accused Simmons of raping her in 1995.
Russell Simmons
Simmons has denied wrongdoing.
Public claims
Drew Dixon
Dixon sued Simmons for defamation after he said her rape claim was a lie.
Russell Simmons
Simmons suggested Dixon was lying about the alleged rape.
Dixon says Simmons raped her.
Dixon accused Simmons of rape, and Simmons resigned from Def Jam.
Winfrey told the filmmakers she would withdraw her name if they did not pull the film from Sundance.
Attorneys for Dixon filed papers in Simmons’s case against Warner Brothers Discovery, including a letter from the filmmakers to Winfrey.
- Film
- On The Record
- Executive producer
- Oprah Winfrey
- Accuser
- Drew Dixon, a former Def Jam executive
- Alleged assault
- Dixon says it happened in 1995
- Sundance premiere
- Scheduled for 2020
- Women accusing Simmons
- 12 of rape, attempted rape and other sexual misconduct
What people are saying
I unequivocally believe and support the women
In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision.
I just care about getting it right, and I think there are some inconsistencies in the stories that we need to look at.
How does any of the above lead one to conclude Drew wasn’t raped? Fame-seekers, as well as prostitutes and gold diggers, can be raped. And persons in consensual relationships can be raped.