Oprah made a lot of headlines earlier this year when she publicly took the side of Michael Jackson’s victims. It became a thing, especially in the African-American community, that even Oprah believed that Michael Jackson was a pedophile. She backed up R. Kelly’s victims this year too. Oprah also used her power – and the power of her name – to say Time’s Up on all of these other predators out there, hiding in plain sight. That includes Russell Simmons, who has been accused of raping and assaulting many women over the years. Simmons was outed as a serial predator during the whole Me Too explosion of survivors telling their stories. And I believed every single story about Simmons. It sounds like Oprah believed the stories too, because she’s producing a documentary about sexual assault in the music industry, and the doc is giving air time to at least one of Russell Simmons’ victims. And for that… 50 Cent has some feelings.
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey’s forthcoming #MeToo documentary is already sparking controversy. Hip-hop artist 50 Cent took to Instagram on Thursday, writing, “I don’t understand why Oprah is going after black men,” along with a photo of Winfrey and Russell Simmons — the latter of whom was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. Simmons, a 62-year-old music mogul, has denied the allegations.
“No Harvey Weinstein, No Epstein, just Micheal [sic] jackson and Russell Simmons this s - - t is sad,” writes 50 Cent. Winfrey and Impact Partners have joined forces with filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering for a documentary, set to air on Apple TV+ in 2020, about sexual assault in the music industry. It features Drew Dixon, one of several women to allege Simmons hurt her.
In a separate Instagram post, also uploaded Thursday, 50 Cent shared a composite image of six men: Bill Cosby, R. Kelly, Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Kevin Spacey and President Donald Trump. The first two men have the word “JAIL” written under their faces, while “WALK” is placed under the others, all of whom are white. “You think Oprah don’t notice how this s - - t is playing out?” 50 Cent writes.
Simmons also took to Instagram to share his own thoughts. “Dearest OPRAH, you have been a shining light to my family and my community,” he begins the lengthy post, which he shared Friday morning. “It’s so troubling that you choose to single me out in your recent documentry [sic]. I have already admitted to being a playboy (more appropriately titled today ‘womanizer’) sleeping with and putting myself in more compromising situations than almost any man I know … So many that some could reinterpret or reimagine a different recollection of the same experiences.”
He adds that he’s passed “nine 3-hour lie-detector tests,” and the “stories are UNUSABLE… I am guilty of exploiting, supporting and making the soundtrack for a grossly unequal society, but I have never been violent or forced myself on anyone,” he writes. “Still I am here to help support a necessary shift in power and consciousness.”
A rep for Oprah didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request seeking comment.
Lord, these men coming for Oprah better sleep with one eye open. The fact is, Oprah is one of the few people who could really do this with any kind of credibility. When people see that OPRAH is backing up these survivors, maybe they’ll listen to the women’s stories. Maybe the women will be more likely to be believed. My take isn’t that Oprah is targeting black men – or even predators who happen to be black – it’s that she’s focused on the victims, some of whom are women of color. Anyway, all this proves is that Russell Simmons and 50 Cent are worried and afraid.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.
Sit down fellas. Please.
right? I don’t pay attention to stupid….utter waste of time and energy….
Those guys stick together.
It just makes him sound like a predator himself, doesn’t it?
I know one of the women who Simmons assaulted. He is full of sh$t. He also knows exactly what he did.
Russell was known to drug and assault women. My ex bf was head of security at a popular bar on Bowery Street. EVERYTIME I went my ex explicitly warned me not to smoke 420 with Russell bc he was known to lace his joints with angel dust, give it to unsuspecting women and then assault them. Russell would find the girls down the block stumbling. My bf had to beg cops to patrol down the block and protect these girls. Once they left the club my bf couldn’t do anything for them.
Wow!
I’ve seen this over and over again in the black community. These very same naysayers will not come after other public figures, but hey only have a problem with Oprah because of the size of her platform and because she is a woc. I hope she continues to expose these horrible men. And by implication they feel that she shouldn’t be telling on her own.
Also if my memory serves me correct, isn’t Oprah a child survivor of abuse ?
Those two should STFU. Oprah knows what she’s doing. The men both have very dirty laundry. Oprah is the best and her judgment is on target.
Tell 50 Cent not to worry about those who walked. Karma will catch up to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spacey came to a particularly nasty end. He’s bound to cross the wrong person somewhere out there.
Epstein certainly didnt escape karma although I wish he had suffered more
It’s focused on abuse within the music industry not the entire entertainment industry. Maybe wait until it comes out before having a fit over who it does and doesn’t include?
I wouldn’t subscribe to Apple+ except maybe for Oprah. If they are hiding things, they should be afraid.
Weinstein hasn’t “walked” either. he hasn’t gone to trial yet.
I can’t be bothered to read 50 cent’s comments because I already know and have heard this bullshit before. He’s trash and a misogynist POS.
This is the weapon black men use on any black woman who dares to speak out. Calling out R Kelly is not an indictment in black men. Calling out Bill Cosby is not an indictment on black men. Calling out Russell Simmons is not an indictment on black men. So many of us black women have been conditioned to protect these men because society already is against them but what it’s really saying is that it is more important to protect a predator than the dozens of black women and girls who are being victimized. And just because *some* white guys don’t go the jail doesn’t excuse anything.
As Terry Crews once said “Predators protect predators”
Bingo
Very well said. Black men have always had the support of Black women. Sadly, it’s not a two way street. I believe that the majority of Black men have their sisters’ backs but, unfortunately, as soon as many of them get two dollars to rub together, they’re gone with the wind.
It sounds like 50 is panicking. Could it be that his turn is next?
I bet she will discuss what happened with Dr. Luke as well as Lou Perlman, who both have or have had allegations against them, and neither one is Black. She is exposing predatory behavior in he music industry. This is a straw man thrown up by scared little boys.
Exactly. As Black women we are so often silenced by Black men and this kind of thing has been going on since. Anyone remember Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf”? She was called a male-basher and that she was airing Black people’s dirty laundry, a traitor to the people, to the cause. It’s always like this. Put up with the abuse so that you don’t compromise some idea of Black unity–which is basically just protecting Black men as if we are their property. Same goes for abuse by Black queer women toward BW but that’s a whole other can of worms nobody *ever* believes.
exactly! like, imagine telling on yourself like this. jfc
Thanks for this topic. Best regrads. This is helpful for my homework
They only make themselves look bad, I hope they keep mouthing off.
IKR?!?! Dumb f***s.
Still never seizes to amaze me how much shit black women have to take.
It always hurts when the concept of ‘protecting your own’ gets twisted into meaning, “shame on you bitches for not acting like the lives, pain, and mistreatment of female members of your culture is lesser.”
Sure guys…just keep squealing louder and louder. It only makes you look guiltier and guiltier.
Oprah rocks.
So are black women and others supposed to pretend black predators don’t exist?!? I don’t understand his logic. 50 is a scum bag anyway and picked the perfect rap name for himself.
Wow. Disgusting and dehumanizing. Thank you for pointing out that women and girls of color and their voices are once again being erased and marginalized by this male-centric framing. Jenny Lumet, for example, is the granddaughter of Lena Horne. This is just a tactic to confuse the issue. It is absolutely true that black men have been viciously oppressed by being painted broadly as violent toward or rapists of white women (when in fact white men are much more likely to rape or be violent toward white women). That doesn’t mean no one can address violence within the black community. Kimberle Crenshaw discusses this in her groundbreaking intersectionality work.
I hope this fuels Oprah’s fire and that she rakes these f**k face douchelords over the coal.
They’re concern over the matter makes them look guilty as hell.
Do it Queen Oprah!
Someone is protesting way too much. Always ends up the most guilty ones
I was thinking the same. He sounds guilty AF of something.
Also, thank you to Oprah for doing the right thing and believing victims. I was so proud of her for publicly supporting MJ’s victims at the risk of alienating his fans.
The only person of consequence in the title is Oprah.
Yep this and hence why they came for her.
Oprah needs to do this because black men won’t protect or stand up for black women who’ve been assaulted or hold other black men to account when they know what’s going on no matter who the victim is. It needs to stop and I’m glad Oprah’s doing this.
I have my reservations on the topic of Michael Jackson. But are black women supposed to tolerate abuse quietly because black men (and women!) already have it hard?
Michael Jackson is innocent and I was disgusted that she backed two lying men, but Gale’s RKelley interview was epic and I’m sure Oprah is going in the right direction now with Simmons.
Hey 50 – instead of the pic of the perpetrators, look at the color of the VICTIMS if you don’t understand why this is so critical. Black Women Matter.
This!
I am constantly astonished by the sheer amount of sh!t that black women have to take on a daily basis.
Ok Oprah always annoyed me but for this she is in my very restrictive celeb heaven.
I’m not on 50 cents or Russel Simmons side. But I’m calling out Oprah on he double standards with sexual predators, she is bff with wienstine, whilst calling out black men. All of them should be on check. I will take her seriously when I see her documentary on Wienstine & trump.
Weinstein has already been very publicly exposed and is facing financial and criminal repercussions. Simmons has hidden behind fame and money to avoid consequences of his actions. Someone needs to expose him and I’m glad Oprah is stepping up the plate. I will not criticize women for not knowing what what their Male acquaintances are doing behind closed doors and im sure as hell am not going to criticize a woman who is standing up for victims who have yet to see justice for the crimes committed against them. You may also want to consider who the victims were bc Simmons victims tended to WOC.
The music industry has largely dodged the MeToo movement. WOC are often ignored and discarded when it comes to sexual assault and I’m glad she is using her platform to expose this ongoing issue in the black community. I’m so tired of the old “distract and deflect” strategy people use because they don’t want to have these hard conversations. Black women and girls are being trafficked at a higher rate yet this is largely ignored.
Women are often told they need to explain themselves when they talk about one particular person or if they associated with someone who is now being accused of sexual assault but there are several men who never get the kind of scrutiny for being silent when someone they know is accused of sexual assault.
On top of that the documentary is about the issue of sexual assault in the music industry not about Russell Simmons alone.
Hmmmmm really and Michael Jackson, wasn’t he publicly exposed. Investigated by the fbi and nothing was found. Yet he dies and suddenly she believes the victims. Having a personal relationship with a sexual predator whilst calling out another is ridiculous. Oprah is operating with double standards. Do a interview with your pervert friend then I will listen.
@Universe, don’t forget Geffen, whom she hangs out with regularly. He is the next in line to be brought down.
I thought that we were not blaming women for the behaviors of predatory men?
Weinstein is being taken care off. No need for a docu on him from anybody.
@Nev don’t bother. People will do the most to carry water for the patriarchy.
Yes Oprah doesn’t have the right to choose what stories to tell. She is not allow to have her viewpoint evolve based on more information that is received, and she must interview and do specials on every man she has known who have been accused of sexual assault and then she will have some credibility.
It’s not Oprah’s fault our sick prejudicial justice system didn’t convict enough white predators yet. R Kelly or whoever doesn’t get a hall pass on sexually assaulting minors just because another scumbag walks free.
Amen @Emmlo. Victims of Weinstein and Trump, and Cosby have already been given numerous platforms to speak on this.
Yes you are right @universe Oprah should be held to different standard and do specials on every single man accused of being a sexual predator.
Thank you for reinforcing my point that WOC are held to a different standard when it comes to this. let’s focus on that and not the subject matter, which is again, black women being left out of the conversation about sexual assault.
Someone is panicking.
Good on Oprah for using her voice and power to expose this.
Idk fellas. Maybe don’t assault women and then you don’t have to worry about who is reporting on the assault. Just a thought.
Kelly Cutrone of People’s Revolution claimed in 2017 that Russel attempted to rape her in 1991. She fought back and escaped thank goodness.
I believe her 100%. She is such a credible and we’ll known person in the fashion industry and a PR professional at that, that I have no idea how this did not receive more attention.
https://www.thecut.com/2017/12/kelly-cutrone-russell-simmons-accusers.html
Simmons is a bit behind—“womanizer” is more appropriately titled today ‘sexual predator.’
Oprah credible? After bestowing Drs Phil and Oz upon us? And a crap ton of shady theories (The Secret) and bad science?
In what world is she credible?