This past Autumn, several women came forward to accuse Def Jam co-creator and legendary hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct and assault. The accusations also included rape and using his position of power to intimidate women. Simmons is just one of many powerful celebrities who has recently been exposed as sexual predators as a result of the strength of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Harvey Weinstein, C.K. Louis, Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner, George Takei and over one hundred other famous men have been accused of sexual misconduct, or worse, in the last six months.
Earlier this month, the internet speculated that Simmons fled the country to avoid the negative press surrounding the sexual assault allegations against him. On Tuesday, Simmons took to social media to confirm the rumors.
The Instagram post features a text-only picture with a black background and bold white text reading, "Temporarily closed for spiritual maintenance." As the caption, Simmons starts off by writing, "I’m in Bali writing, meditating at holy sites and practicing asanas." He continued on to write, " I want to fully devote myself to my daughters, the underserved communities I've always worked with and the growth of a new conscious community. We need a revolution of consciousness. Now is the time for new beginnings. One awakened being at time."
Source: complex.com
