HBO has removed Russell Simmons from its All Def Comedy series amid allegations of sexual misconduct against the entrepreneur/producer.
In a statement, HBO said it would go ahead with the stand-up comedy series but will remove Simmons’ name as creator and executive producer of the series.
“HBO will be airing All Def Comedy as planned. However, Russell Simmons will not appear in the new series and we will be removing his name from the show moving forward,” the network said. “The series is a platform for promising and upcoming comedians and we do not want to deprive them of an opportunity to showcase their talents to a national audience. We have no other projects with Russell Simmons.”
Simmons, CEO of Rush Communications, stepped down from his companies Thursday in the wake of accusations of sexual assault levied against him by screenwriter Jenny Lumet during an incident in 1991. The latest allegation follows alleged sexual misconduct allegations made against Simmons and director Brett Ratner last month.
