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 Jenny Lumet, the screenwriter daughter of the
late movie director Sidney Lumet, in a Thursday Hollywood
Reporter column accused Simmons of forcing himself on her in his
New York apartment in 1991.
Simmons, 60, the co-founder of hip-hop label Def Jam Records and
also a film producer, apologized for his behavior in a statement
on his Instagram site.
Reuters could not independently confirm the allegation and
representatives for Simmons did not reply to a request for
comment.
"While her memory of that evening is very different from mine,
it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation
are real," Simmons said in his Instagram statement. "While I
have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive
in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely
apologize."
Lumet could not immediately be reached for comment.
Simmons is regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs
in the hip-hop world. He also founded the fashion lines Phat
Farm and Tantris, and co-produced films and TV shows including
"The Nutty Professor" and "Def Comedy Jam."
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 HBO said on Thursday it had removed Simmons'
name and involvement in its upcoming six-part series "All Def
Comedy," due to begin airing on Friday and showcasing emerging
and established stand-up comedians.
"HBO will be airing All Def Comedy as planned.
However, Russell Simmons will not appear in the new series and we
will be removing his name from the show moving forward," the premium
cable network said in a statement.
"The series is a platform for promising and upcoming comedians and
we do not want to deprive them of an opportunity to showcase their
talents to a national audience. We have no other projects with
Russell Simmons," HBO added.
Simmons is the latest powerful man in entertainment to be accused of
sexual misconduct. "Today" show host Matt Lauer on Thursday
apologized for "troubling flaws" after being fired by NBC television
for inappropriate behavior.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy;
Editing by Alden Bentley and Chris Reese)
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