• Oprah Winfrey said Friday that Russell Simmons attempted to pressure her about her involvement with a documentary in which several women detail sexual-abuse allegations against the rap mogul, though she added that his efforts were not what prompted her to leave the project. "He did reach out multiple times and attempted to pressure me," Winfrey told The Associated Press through a spokesman. It wasn't anything Simmons said that prompted her to withdraw from On the Record, according to Winfrey, who cited inconsistencies in the story of one of Simmons' accusers that she felt needed to be addressed. Winfrey said Friday that she still believes the women in the film but that more reporting was needed. On the Record directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering have said they have ample evidence against Simmons, a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings. Winfrey has said she wanted to delay the release of the film, scheduled to premiere next Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival, but that her view was not shared by the directors. Simmons has denied any wrongdoing. On Friday, a Simmons representative issued a statement, saying, "If defending himself against terrible accusations is considered intimidation then there would be no justice."
• Three years after a documentary that raised scrutiny of the character Apu on The Simpsons, Hank Azaria has said he will no longer voice the role. The actor confirmed the news Friday after a Television Critics Association panel for his IFC show Brockmire. "All we know there is that I won't be doing the voice anymore, unless there's some way to transition it or something," Azaria told the entertainment website Slashfilm. Azaria has voiced the show's Indian-born convenience-store owner, whose full name is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, since the character was created in 1990. "We all made the decision together," Azaria added. "We all agreed on it. We all feel like it's the right thing and good about it." A representative for The Simpsons said Friday that the show had no comment on Azaria's remarks. Representatives for Azaria, who voices many characters in the show, did not immediately return requests for comment. In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu debuted his documentary The Problem With Apu, which explored whether the heavily accented South Asian character propagated harmful stereotypes. He said in the film that Apu is "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father."
A Section on 01/19/2020