3 women accuse Russell Simmons of rape; music mogul denies the claims

Three women have told the New York Times that music mogul Russell Simmons raped them.

In a statement, the former Def Jam Recordings exec vehemently denied what he called “these horrific accusations,” saying all his relations have been consensual.

The accusations reported by the Times on Wednesday stem from the 1980s and 1990s. A former Def Jam employee, Drew Dixon, said Simmons raped her in his downtown apartment in 1995. Another, Tina Baker, said Simmons raped her in the early ’90s, when he was her manager. A third, Toni Sallie, a music journalist, said he raped her in 1988, also in his apartment.

Last month, HBO said it would edit out any link to Simmons in its “All Def Comedy” show in the wake of a sexual misconduct allegation by screenwriter Jenny Lumet.