Russell Simmons is facing claims of sexual harassment and battery, brought forward by a former executive at Def Jam Recordings.The rap and hip-hop heavyweight – who co-founded the label with producer Rick Rubin – is accused by a former employee of “derailing” her career after raping her in the 1990s, according to a new lawsuit.The plaintiff, going as “Jane Doe” filed the lawsuit in New York federal court on Tuesday (February 13), accusing the mogul of sexual assault and battery, as well as stalling her career.According to the court filing (via The Guardian), “Ms Doe’s career in the music industry was disrupted and derailed by a devastating experience at the hands of Mr Simmons.” It also states that she and Simmons had a professional working relationship at first, before he later “revealed his true colours” and “disabled Ms Doe’s career at Def Jam, a job she loved, at the height of her success and financial viability” through his “assaultive behaviour”.Simmons has not yet responded to requests for comment, however, is expected to deny all accusations raised against him. This comes as, following other accusations of sexual assault and rape in 2017, he shared a statement stating: “I completely and unequivocally deny the horrendous allegations of non-consensual sex against me with every fibre of my being.”In Tuesday’s filing, Doe outlined a specific incident.
Susie Tennant, Former Geffen Records Exec and Key Nirvana Champion, Dies at 61
26.01.2024 - 18:39 / variety.com
major role in the rise of Nirvana, died on Jan. 18 at her West Seattle home after several years living with frontotemporal dementia, a progressive neurological disorder, her family confirmed.
She was 61. Born in Germany and raised all over the world as an “army brat,” Tennant moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington and played a prominent role in the city’s fast-rising music scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
She was Geffen’s Northwest radio promotion rep at the time Nirvana signed with the label and was a key player in the launch of their galvanizing 1991 album “Nevermind,” which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. “Susie was their real champion in Seattle because she was the local rep, and she had a good relationship with Kurt [Cobain] — I think he was crashing on her sofa for a while,” former Geffen exec Ray Farrell told Variety in 2021.
“She was very sweet and very enthusiastic and I think her heart was really with them. Everything was changing because of them, and this was her band.” “Susie really rallied Seattle for them,” her fellow Geffen radio exec John Rosenfelder recalled.
“Nirvana were actually a lot more indie than most of the other Seattle bands [like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam], and people there could have been like, ‘Oh, major-label sellouts’ — but they didn’t, and she had a lot to do with that.” Former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic said in a statement to the Seattle Times, “We loved Susie a great deal, and she will be missed.” Geffen was one of the main proponents of the alternative-rock wave of the 1990s and Tennant worked closely with most of the label’s acts of the time, including Sonic Youth, Hole, Weezer, Beck, Teenage Fanclub and many others. Over the
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Tom Sandoval's Former Assistant Speaks Out About Scandoval, Rachel Leviss & Being Go-Between For Tom & Ariana Madix
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Rod Holcomb, Emmy-Winning TV Director and DGA Negotiating Committee Member, Dies at 80
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Rachel Leviss Says She Will NEVER Speak To This Former VPR Co-Star Again!
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Acclaimed director Norman Jewison dies aged 97
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Surviving Nirvana members lead tributes to former publicist Susie Tennant, who has died
Nirvana and others from the Seattle music scene have paid tribute to their former publicist, Susie Tennant, who has passed away on Friday (January 19) at the age of 61.Tennant’s death was announced by the “Susie Tennant Fan Club” Facebook page, which was created by Seattle’s music community. According to her husband Christopher Swenson, she passed away surrounded by family members.
Nancy Green-Keyes Dies: ‘The Notebook’, ‘Rush Hour’ Casting Director Was 68
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Super Bowl Pre-Game Performers Announced: Post Malone, Andra Day, Reba McEntire
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Andy Rourke’s former band Blitz Vega announce debut album on what would have been his 60th birthday
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X Factor star reveals his Turkey hair transplant at 31 with gruesome operation pics
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Joyce Randolph, star of ‘The Honeymooners’, dies aged 99
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Marlon Wayans To Star In Psychological Horror Pic ‘Goat’ For Universal And Monkeypaw With Justin Tipping Directing
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Alec Musser, ‘All My Children’ and ‘Grown Ups’ Actor, Dies at 50
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