Russell Simmons aborts #NotMe campaign: 'This is a time for women to speak'

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When Russell Simmons was accused of three counts of rape by three separate women in December, he fiercely defended himself and declared his innocence, promising to start work on a "#NotMe" campaign in light of the #MeToo movement.

He wrote: "Today, I begin to properly defend myself. I will prove without any doubt that I am innocent of all rape charges. Today, I will focus on “The Original Sin” (Keri Claussen), the claim that created this insane pile on of my #MeToo. Stay tuned! We’ll share information today... And tomorrow the case of Jenny Lumet. My intention is not to diminish the #MeToo movement in anyway, but instead hold my accusers accountable. #NotMe Again, this is not a movement against or even in conjunction with #Metoo. It’s just a statement about my innocence."

The musician has decided a counter-campaign is not what this moment needs, however.

In a statement given to Page Six, a rep for Simmons said he felt it was "a time for women to speak".

It was Simmons' original post (above) that caused publicist and The City reality star Kelly Cutrone to detail her own experience with Simmons.

“The #NotMe thing? I’m going to do a #YeahYou. Fuck you," she told Page Six.

(via Jezebel)