Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has been subpoenaed to provide testimony and records in the ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by Drew Dixon against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons.
Dixon, a former music executive, is suing Simmons for defamation after he publicly questioned her credibility regarding sexual assault allegations she made against him.
The lawsuit stems from a 2023 interview Simmons gave to Graham Bensinger, where he suggested Dixon was seeking notoriety and dismissed her claims as false.
Dixon, however, maintains that Simmons raped her in 1995, an allegation she first shared in a 2017 New York Times report.
Subpoena Seeks Oprah Winfrey’s Testimony
Winfrey was subpoenaed by Dixon’s legal team at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, compelling her to produce documents and testify under oath in a videotaped deposition before March 18, 2025. The legal notice demands:
- Records, documents, and communications related to Dixon’s allegations and Simmons’ response.
- Testimony on her decision to withdraw from On the Record, a documentary that covered sexual misconduct allegations against Simmons.
Winfrey was initially an executive producer of On the Record, which featured Dixon and other women accusing Simmons of sexual assault. However, she later withdrew her support, citing editorial differences. In a 2020 statement, Winfrey told The New York Times that while she still believed the women, she felt the documentary did not fully address certain inconsistencies.
Simmons has since claimed that Winfrey possesses recordings that expose discrepancies in the accusers’ stories. Dixon’s legal team appears to be seeking these materials as potential evidence to challenge Simmons’ claims and strengthen the defamation case.
Legal Implications and Next Steps
The subpoena escalates the legal battle between Dixon and Simmons, raising questions about the extent of Winfrey’s knowledge regarding the allegations and her role in the public narrative. If she complies, her testimony could either support or weaken Dixon’s claims, potentially influencing the outcome of the lawsuit.
Winfrey has not publicly responded to the subpoena, and it remains unclear whether she will move to quash it or comply with the request.
Meanwhile, Simmons continues to deny all allegations, maintaining that his past relationships have been consensual.
