Oprah Winfrey admits she was pressured to drop out of Apple TV+ Russell Simmons #MeToo documentary, but that's not why she pulled her support

The New York Times

Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, the documentarians behind the untitled music industry #MeToo documentary, say that Oprah was closely involved in the making of the film over the past year. “She loved, loved, loved what we did,” Ziering told the Los Angeles Times this week. “And then she saw it numerous times throughout the editing process. We had a very close working relationship and very, very positive — enthusiastically positive. There weren’t any issues.” So they were taken aback last Friday when -- with 20 minutes notice -- they learned that Oprah was dropping out as executive producer, which meant that the film wouldn't be shown on Apple TV+. Oprah pulling out came in the aftermath of backlash and pressure, not only from Simmons but from other prominent artists like 50 Cent. In a New York Times interview published today, Oprah admits she was pressured to disassociate herself from the documentary -- but insists that's not why she dropped out. “He did reach out multiple times and attempted to pressure me,” Oprah says of Simmons. According to The Times, Oprah says Simmons told her that the woman at the center of the film who is his main sexual misconduct accuser, Drew Dixon, was lying about their interactions. In addition, Ms. Winfrey says, she received phone calls from other people, whom she would not identify, who also questioned Dixon’s credibility. Oprah says she still believes Dixon, but points to inconsistencies in her account that weren't adequately addressed, in addition to other issues with the film. It is for those reasons, and not due to Simmons' pressure, that she decided to pull her support. “I told him directly in a phone call that I will not be pressured either into, or out of, backing this film,” she says. “I am only going to do what I believe to be the right thing.” Meanwhile, Dixon tells The Times she feels that Oprah abandoned her. “I feel like I’m experiencing a second crime,” says Dixon. “I am being silenced. The broader community is being intimidated. The most powerful black woman in the world is being intimidated.”