Oprah Winfrey’s Russell Simmons Doc Exit Exposed in New Filings

Oprah Winfrey's decision to abandon the Russell Simmons documentary On the Record is back in the headlines six years later.

New legal filings reveal fresh details about the television icon's concerns.

The documents were submitted by attorneys for Drew Dixon, one of the women who accuse Simmons of sexual assault.

Winfrey withdrew from the project in January 2020.

That was weeks before the film's debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

At the time, she explained her decision publicly.

"I just care about getting it right, and I think there are some inconsistencies in the stories that we need to look at," she told CBS This Morning.

But the newly submitted correspondence offers another glimpse into the disagreement.

The filings show that Winfrey had received information from an unnamed friend.

That information suggested Dixon had been romantically involved with Simmons.

It also suggested Dixon was seeking publicity or financial gain.

Dixon has denied those claims.

The filmmakers responded directly to the information Winfrey had received.

They challenged the allegations in writing.

One line from their response has drawn particular attention.

"And persons in consensual relationships can be raped," the filmmakers wrote.

That sentence cut to the core of the debate about how sexual assault claims are evaluated.

Dixon is a former Def Jam executive.

She alleges that Simmons raped her in 1995.

Simmons denies wrongdoing.

Dixon has also sued Simmons for defamation.

That lawsuit came after Simmons publicly disputed her account.

Winfrey has previously insisted she stands with the women in the documentary.

She said she "unequivocally believes and supports the women" featured in On the Record.

But her decision to pull out of the project raised questions at the time.

The documentary went on to premiere at Sundance without her.

It explored allegations of sexual assault against Simmons by multiple women.

Simmons is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings.

He has faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct dating back decades.

He has consistently denied all allegations.

The new legal filings do not change the facts of the case.

They do, however, shed light on the behind-the-scenes tensions that led to Winfrey's exit.

The documents show that the filmmakers pushed back hard on the information Winfrey received.