“Simmons will not appear in the new series and we will be removing his name from the show moving forward,” read a statement by HBO, which had previously been home to the Simmons’ pioneering “Def Comedy Jam.” ″We have no other projects with Russell Simmons.”
HBO has previously proved willing to sever ties with starry names amid allegations of sexual misconduct. After Louis C.K. was accused of harassment, HBO removed the comedian from its “Night of Too Many Stars” special and took down his previous standup specials and series from its on-demand services.
The latest allegations facing Simmons comes from Lumet, who co-wrote “The Mummy” in 2017 and “Rachel Getting Married” in 2008, wrote an essay for The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday in which she recalled Simmons sexually violating her in 1991, when she was 24.