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Since Oprah Winfrey announced on Jan. 10 that she was pulling support from a documentary project featuring women who are accusing rap mogul Russell Simmons of rape, filmmakers for the project are still grappling with why and say Winfrey’s decision left them blindsided.
READ MORE: Oprah Winfrey severs ties with documentary featuring alleged Russell Simmons survivors
Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are set to present the film, titled On the Record, at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25 although Winfrey’s decision has UTA, the sales agency for the project, rushing to find a new distributor. Also, AppleTV+ has scrapped plans to air a subsequent docuseries project called Toxic Workplace, prompted by Dick and Ziering’s documentary, that would have looked into sexual misconduct inside the workplace.
“It was very disappointing and upsetting,” Ziering told The Hollywood Reporter. “We were concerned about the survivors and what the hell this is going to do to them. That was our first thought. ‘Oh my God. Let’s tell everybody and figure this out.’”
In Winfrey’s statement removing herself from executive producing the documentary, the media icon said she still supports and believes the alleged victims, but that the project had “more work to be done.”
“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 said in a statement. “First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision.”
The film largely focuses on Drew Dixon, who formerly worked as an executive under Simmons at Def Jam Recordings and alleges her boss raped her in 1995. Simmons has denied Dixon’s rape allegation as well as rape allegations made by several other women, including author Sil Lai Abrams, Sherri Hines of the rap group Mercedes Ladies and screenwriter Jenny Lumet.
The documentary also includes interviews with Tarana Burke, who founded the #MeToo movement, as well as others who discuss the challenges Black women face when coming forward to accuse powerful Black men of sexual abuse. Burke discussed “Black women’s need to protect Black men,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
But it could have been the film’s over-reliance on Dixon’s alleged story that drove Winfrey away. Or, some speculate that social media posts from Simmons and his friend, 50 Cent, both challenging Winfrey’s involvement in the documentary, prompted her to leave, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I just want to know why she is only going after her own,” 50 tweeted on Dec. 10. “When it’s clear the penalties have been far more extreme for African American men.”
I just want to know why she is only going after her own. When it’s clear the penalties have been far more extreme for African American men. #lecheminduroi #bransoncognac #starzgettheapp #abcforlife pic.twitter.com/skH5a40Emj
— 50cent (@50cent) December 13, 2019
READ MORE: Russell Simmons and 50 Cent accuse Oprah of bashing Black men in sexual misconduct documentary
Simmons posted a note to Winfrey on Instagram. “Dearest OPRAH, you have been a shining light to my family and my community. Contributing so much to my life that I couldn’t list a fraction of it in this blog. I have given you the gift of meditation and the groundbreaking book ‘THE POWER OF NOW’ we bonded to say the least. This is why it’s so troubling that you choose me to single out in your recent documentary,” Simmons posted on Instagram along with the photo of himself with Winfrey.
The documentary is moving forward and will be shown at Sundance next weekend.
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