Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV+ pull out of the Russell Simmons #MeToo documentary

The Hollywood Reporter

With the untitled documentary scheduled to premiere at Sundance later this month, Oprah has decided to cut ties with the film that tackles sexual abuse within the music industry -- even though she insists she believes Simmons' accusers. Oprah's exit means it won't air on Apple TV+. “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+," Oprah 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." Oprah added: "Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission but given the filmmakers’ desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it’s best to step aside. I will be working with Time’s Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment.” The documentary focuses on Drew Dixon and her accusations of sexual misconduct against music mogul Simmons. When Apple first announced the documentary, Dixon's name was omitted. Last month, Simmons criticized Oprah for producing the documentary, writing 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. This is why it’s so troubling that you choose me to single out in your recent documentry (sic)."