Katie Rost, who is a self-proclaimed #MeToo survivor, has broken her silence on his scandal, insisting that she never felt that the 62-year-old is a 'predator' during their time together.
- Jan 25, 2020
AceShowbiz - More people come to Russell Simmons' defense amid allegations of rape and sexual assault against the film producer. This time, his ex-girlfriend Katie Rost, who is a self-proclaimed #MeToo survivor, has broken her silence on the brewing scandal involving Russell.
"I did want to offer a different point of view because sometimes I think it's a pile on," she said to Page Six. She went on saying that she felt "complicated" about some of the allegations considering she had her own personal experience with the music executive, whom she dubbed "a playboy and a player" during the time of them together.
"If you're an overly sexual person or someone who comes on to people … I don't think that means that you are a predator," Katie said. “I just wanted to say that I never felt that way about him."
She went on saying, "I did always feel like he was a womanizer -- that he was someone who was going to come on to women, let you know that he wanted you -- but there was never any aggressive or even using like a power position type of thing over, at least, me for my situation."
Katie even recalled a time Russell encouraged her to share her story when she accused her ex-husband James Orsini of abuse. "When I was going through all of that crap and all of the pain with coming forward as a survivor, Russell so strongly [said] to me, 'Katie, you need to write about these things. You have to tell everyone what happened with this pain of your life,' " she explained. "He was such a strong voice that it sort of took my breath away reading that he might go down in flames."
Katie is the second ex of Russell who defended him amid the accusations. Prior to her, Russell's ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons said in a statement, "I have known Russell for over 25 years. We were close friends, married, divorced, and have remained friends, co-parents and partners throughout it all. These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time. I have known him to be a caring and supportive father and someone who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities."
Meanwhile, "On the Record" is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 25. The new documentary will reportedly highlight some of his accusers' stories about their experience with the 62-year-old enterpreneur.
