Oprah Winfrey’s Name Surfaces In Explosive New Legal Filing Tied To Rapper’s Assault Allegations

Oprah Winfrey has found herself at the center of the ongoing legal battle involving hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, as she has been subpoenaed in connection to a defamation lawsuit filed by Drew Dixon, one of Simmons’ accusers.

The subpoena was issued as part of Dixon’s lawsuit against Simmons, who is accused of making defamatory remarks during a 2023 interview.

The rapper allegedly referenced Drew Dixon’s rape claims and Oprah Winfrey’s departure from "On the Record," the 2020 documentary about the allegations.

According to Page Six, Simmons asserted that Winfrey dropped out of the project after uncovering “inconsistencies” in the accounts of Dixon and other women involved. He also claimed Winfrey had recordings that supported his position.

In response, attorneys for Dixon are demanding that Winfrey hand over all relevant materials, documents, recordings, and other tangible items by March 18. The legal filing also compels her to sit for a deposition, which may be videotaped.

“You are hereby commanded… to produce the books, records, papers, data, documents, evidences, writings, and all other tangible things as described more fully in the attached Schedule A at [law firm] Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, 55 Hudson Yards, New York, New York 10001, or electronically to undersigned counsel, on or before March 18, 2025,” the subpoena stated, per Page Six.

“You are further commanded to… to appear and attend before a notary public or other person authorized by law to administer oaths… and at any recessed or adjourned date, to testify and give evidence, as a witness on an examination before trial by deposition upon oral questions," it continued. “This deposition may be videotaped and will continue from day to day until complete.”

Whether Winfrey met the March 18 deadline or has challenged the subpoena through legal channels remains unclear.

Dixon initiated the lawsuit after Simmons spoke about her rape allegations during a sit-down with Graham Besinger. In the interview, Simmons dismissed the accusations, suggesting Dixon was “[thirsting] for fame” and seeking “notoriety.” He maintained that all his relationships had been “consensual” and that he had “never been forceful in any of [his] relationships.”

Simmons also discussed "On the Record," saying Winfrey exited the project due to contradictory information. He claimed she had taped about 20 witnesses and alleged, “Those tapes are available.” He said, “I didn’t watch ['On the Record'] because it’s not true and I think that Oprah said the stories don’t add up.”

He further stated that Winfrey shifted focus away from the film and wanted to expand its scope to the broader music industry. “I couldn’t be a subject anymore, because she had found too much contradictory evidence about the stories about me,” Simmons alleged.

Winfrey stepped down as executive producer of "On the Record" in January 2020.

Appearing on "CBS This Morning," she addressed her departure. “I unequivocally say that I did not pull out because of Russell,” she said. “This is not a victory lap for him. I cannot be silenced by a Russell Simmons after all I’ve been through.”

She reiterated her belief in the women featured in the documentary and stated that creative differences were at the heart of her decision. “I had said to them, ‘Houston, I think we have a problem here’ because new information had come forward… I just care about getting it right, and I think there’s some inconsistencies in the stories that we need to look at.”

Winfrey added, “I wanted the context of the story to be broadened, I wanted more women brought into the story.”

She reflected on the experience, stating the lesson was to “not put your name on anything that you do not have creative control over.”

"On the Record," later acquired by HBO after Winfrey and Apple TV+ stepped away, focuses on Dixon’s account of her time at Def Jam and the night in 1995 when she alleges Simmons raped her in his apartment.

Then 24, Dixon had recently found success assembling the soundtrack for the documentary "The Show."

What solidified her decision was witnessing other women speak out during the #MeToo movement, especially recalling how Desiree Washington, who accused Mike Tyson of rape, was initially not believed.

Tyson was later convicted of raping the then-18-year-old. "I couldn't let them dangle in the wind," Dixon says in the film.

After a night out, she accepted Simmons’ offer to wait for a car at his place, where he invited her to listen to a demo CD.

Inside the apartment, Dixon recalled being asked to retrieve the demo from his bedroom. Once there, she said Simmons followed her in, naked and wearing a condom.

She described the assault in chilling detail in the film, recounting how she was pinned down, blacked out, and later awoke naked in his bathtub. “I was reduced to nothing in that moment,” she said in the documentary. “I was trash.”

Dixon left Def Jam shortly after the alleged incident and later joined Arista Records. She claimed she faced further harassment from L.A. Reid, who became chairman of Arista in 2000.

In total, 20 women have come forward accusing Simmons of sexual assault or rape. Several appear in "On the Record," including six who share their stories on camera. Both Simmons and Reid declined to participate in the film and have denied all allegations.

The documentary concludes by stating that Simmons has since relocated to Bali, Indonesia, a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.