Oprah Winfrey, long celebrated by Hollywood elites and corporate media as an untouchable icon, is now finding herself pulled into an ugly, high-profile courtroom drama. The case? A defamation lawsuit tied to explosive rape allegations—and Oprah’s not exactly a bystander, as reported by The Western Journal.

The case stems from allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. Former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon claims Simmons sexually assaulted her back in 1995.

She went public with those accusations in 2017, as part of the broader #MeToo wave. Simmons denied the accusations, but in 2023, he publicly pushed back again, this time strongly criticizing Dixon’s claims. That prompted Dixon to fire back with a defamation lawsuit in 2024.

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Now, in 2025, attorneys for Dixon are dragging Oprah into the mess. Why? Because back in 2020, Winfrey had been involved in a documentary project focused on the allegations against Simmons.

She later dropped out of the project—something that now appears to be at the heart of the latest legal move.

According to reports, Simmons said Oprah backed out of the documentary after she supposedly discovered “inconsistencies” in the accounts from Dixon and other accusers.

He even claimed that Oprah had recordings proving those discrepancies. At the time, Oprah told The New York Times that Simmons did try to pressure her, but she also admitted she had doubts about the documentary’s handling of certain facts.

“Ms. Winfrey said that she still believed Ms. Dixon, though she also thought there were inconsistencies in her account that the film had not adequately addressed.”

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That statement alone puts her right in the legal crosshairs. Attorneys now want to see the evidence she may have referenced—and they’re not asking politely.

Winfrey has been subpoenaed and ordered to turn over any records or recordings related to the dropped documentary. But that’s not all—the subpoena also compels her to sit for a formal deposition.

And it won’t just be a casual conversation. The document makes it clear: this deposition will be on camera, under oath, and may go on “from day to day until complete.”

It’s unclear whether Oprah will fight the subpoena or comply. Either way, her involvement exposes just how messy and politically loaded these cases can become—especially when Hollywood royalty tries to tiptoe through the minefield.

Meanwhile, Russell Simmons continues to deny all accusations. He hasn’t been charged or arrested in connection to the allegations.

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