E! News has reached out to Simmons’ attorney for comment. The terms of the settlement were not made public.
Kiss singer and bassist Gene Simmons says he intends to defend himself in court after a woman sued him for sexual battery and other alleged misconduct.
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Friday and posted on the Orange County Register‘s website, an anonymous woman, who describes herself as a “long-time on-air personality for a local rock station,” says that she interviewed Simmons in November and that he made “unwanted, unwarranted sexual advances” towards her.
“Friends, I intend to defend myself against any alleged charges you may have been reading about in the media,” Simmons, 68, wrote on Facebook on Sunday morning. “For the record, I did not assault the person making these accusations in the manner alleged in the complaint or harm her in any way. I am conferring with my lawyers with the aim of vigorously countering these allegations. And I look forward to my day in court where the evidence will prove my innocence.”
She said she was “visibly powerless, as demonstrated by moving her hands in a nervous fashion.” She said that shortly after, Simmons reached over and “forcibly flicked / struck” her in the “middle of her throat,” then “provided an incoherent explanation” after he observed the impact of the hit and the shocked reaction by the co-host. The woman says she did her best to “promptly terminate the interview” but that Simmons wanted to continue.
The woman said that after it was over, they took “customary promotional photos” together as a group and that as they were beginning to pose, Simmons reached over and touched her butt. She said she kept her composure and discreetly moved away.
“My client is embarrassed and humiliated by the incident with Mr. Simmons,” her lawyer told the Orange County Register. “She filed suit because she wanted to make a strong statement that this behavior is unacceptable and she wants to see an end to this type of behavior.”
The lawsuit comes a month after The Daily Beast reported that Simmons was banned for life from Fox News after he allegedly “burst uninvited” into a website staff meeting, shouted “Hey chicks, sue me,” bared his chest, told pedophilia jokes and bopped two employees on the head with his book.
The woman’s allegations that Simmons allegedly touched her butt during a photo call bring to mind Taylor Swift‘s recent legal victory against a former DJ, who she accused of groping her while they posed for a photo. The jury determined he did assault the singer.
Source: E! News
