Oprah, Apple TV+ Drop Russell Simmons Accuser Documentary

Oprah Winfrey will now not government produce an upcoming documentary a couple of lady who accused music mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct, and the movie will now not seem on Apple TV+, Winfrey advised TheWrap in an announcement.

The untitled movie from Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering follows music government Drew Dixon and the way her life modified after she accused Simmons of rape and entered the #MeToo motion. The Def Jam Records co-founder has denied the accusations.

Dick and Ziering stated in an announcement:

“Revealing onerous truths isn’t simple, and the ladies in our documentary are all exhibiting extraordinary energy and braveness by elevating their voices to handle sexual abuse within the music business. While we’re disillusioned that Oprah Winfrey is now not an Executive Producer on the venture, we’re gratified that Winfrey has unequivocally stated she believes and helps the survivors within the movie.

The #MeToo experiences of Black ladies need to be heard, particularly in opposition to highly effective males, so we’ll proceed with our plans to carry the movie to The Sundance Film Festival.  This movie, greater than two years within the making, can be our eighth movie to premiere at Sundance.

The movie is a beacon of hope for voices which have lengthy been suppressed, and an inspiration for anybody eager to regain their private energy.”

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The movie is supposed to premiere on the Sundance Film Festival later this month, however Winfrey felt the movie was not able to be screened on the competition and left the venture.

“I have decided that I will no longer be executive producer on ‘The Untitled Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering Documentary’ and it will not air on Apple TV+,” Winfrey stated in an announcement. “First and foremost, I would like it to be recognized that I unequivocally consider and assist the ladies. Their tales need to be advised and heard. In my opinion, there may be extra work to be accomplished on the movie to light up the complete scope of what the victims endured and it has develop into clear that the filmmakers and I will not be aligned in that artistic imaginative and prescient.

“Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are gifted filmmakers. I’ve nice respect for his or her mission however given the filmmakers’ need to premiere the movie on the Sundance Film Festival earlier than I consider it’s full, I really feel it’s greatest to step apart. I can be working with Time’s Up to assist the victims and people impacted by abuse and sexual harassment,” Winfrey continued.

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Dick and Ziering are the filmmakers behind “The Invisible War” and “The Hunting Ground,” which cope with the epidemic of rape of troopers inside the U.S. navy and the institutional cover-up of rape on school campuses, respectively. Their newest documentary involving Dixon and Simmons was meant to be produced by Winfrey and Impact Partners and would have premiered on Apple TV+ in 2020. The venture was introduced in December, however the official logline from Apple didn’t determine the movie’s topic, solely that it concerned a “brilliant former music executive.”

However, when the movie was introduced as a part of the Sundance lineup, the complete logline revealed that it adopted Dixon and her accusations in opposition to Simmons.

Simmons was Dixon’s boss at Def Jam Recordings whereas she was an government on the music label. Dixon says she was raped by Simmons in his house in 1995 and stop the corporate shortly after.

THR first reported the information of Winfrey’s departure.