Russell Simmons Accusers Share Their Harassment Experiences — In Detail

Two of Russell Simmons’s accusers have detailed their alleged incidents in a TV interview this week with NBC’s Megyn Kelly: Sherri Hines, formerly of the all-female hip-hop group Mercedes Ladies, and actress Natashia Williams-Blach.

Sherri says Russell raped her in 1983 at his NYC offices: “When I got there, he told me to sit down. He sat down next to me,” she recalled. “And it was weird. It happened so fast. Next thing you know, I’m being pinned down and I’m like, ‘Whoa! Get off me!’ I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’”

She continued: “And he’s still pinning me down and I was trying to maneuver and get out of it … and he just held me down.” She said she remembered how there was a lamp nearby “and I was trying to grab it… The next thing I know, my pants were down and he was having his way,” she said. “And when he finished, I ran out of there and I was crying. I couldn’t believe I was just violated like that.”

Natashia said Russell tried to force her to perform oral sex on him at his home in 1997.

“Shortly before that, there was an assistant present and it was fine for that time being,” Natashia said. “After [the assistant] left, it was the two of us and things quickly escalated to him coming into my space and putting his hands on my head, pulling it in. I didn’t really have time to think much after that. I just sort of reacted inside and realized this is different. We’re not just watching trailers for a movie.”

“It’s all so fast when you’re in that moment. There’s something psychosomatic that happens and I’m present, I’m seeing it all happen, but I’m almost shocked.”