Russell Simmons has proved that living in Indonesia has its benefits—and it’s not just about yoga and beachfront villas.
A federal judge dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe against the Hip-Hop mogul, ruling that Simmons is a “stateless” American citizen, making it impossible for the court to claim jurisdiction over him.
Jane Doe, a former Def Jam executive, had filed the lawsuit alleging that Simmons sexually assaulted her in the 1990s while she worked at the label. Doe’s lawsuit claimed that Simmons raped her in his Manhattan apartment after luring her there under the guise of reviewing a music video.
The suit was part of a larger wave of litigation enabled by New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which briefly lifted the statute of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse.
However, Simmons’ legal team argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because he has lived in Indonesia since 2018.
Judge John G. Koeltl sided with Simmons, ruling that the plaintiff failed to prove that he was domiciled in New York at the time of the complaint. The dismissal boiled down to a jurisdictional technicality.
Since Simmons no longer claims residence in any U.S. state and has been living in Indonesia under a permanent retirement visa since 2021, the judge ruled that he falls outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The judge noted that Simmons sold his New York apartment in 2021, has lived in multiple residences in Indonesia and possesses an Indonesian driver’s license.
The court was not persuaded by Jane Doe’s argument that Simmons’ social media posts, business ties and occasional visits to New York meant he was still legally domiciled in the U.S.
“The plaintiff primarily relies upon the defendant’s media statements and social media posts, [Simmons’] intermittent trips to New York, [Simmons’] payment of rent in New York for his daughter’s apartment, and his business connections and bank account in New York to show domicile. However, social media posts and intermittent visits to New York do not establish a domicile. The [Simmons] has provided clear and convincing evidence that he was domiciled in Indonesia when the complaint was filed.”
During his deposition, Simmons reinforced his position, stating unequivocally: “I don’t live in America. America’s not my home.”
Russell Simmons has denied over a dozen claims of sexual assault and has insisted that any past encounters were consensual.
However, his legal problems are not over. The Def Jam founder is accused of not paying six women out of settlement monies related to sexual assault allegations, totaling almost $9 million.