Drew Dixon (left) in the documentary On the Record. Said one accuser: “You can’t support us without supporting the film.”
Courtesy of HBO MaxHBO Max is offering free streaming of the Russell Simmons accuser documentary On the Record via Twitter, YouTube and the WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform.
The offering will kick off tonight with a Twitter Watch Event marking On The Record as the first feature film to be stream on the social media platform as a watch event. Twitter users will have access to the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering on Twitter for 24 hours.
On the Record tells the stories of Simmons’ accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they go public with claims of sexual harassment and assault at the hands of the Def Jam music mogul. The stories of Sil Lai Abrams, Sheri Hines, Jenny Lumet and Alexia Norton Jones appear in the film.
HBO Max aims with the free viewing to spotlight women who have publicly accused Simmons of sexual assault and misconduct. Dixon welcomed the Twitter free viewing for On the Record on the social media site itself.
“I just realized that #OnThe Record has its own cool emoji now!! This must be related to the fact that the entire documentary will be streamed tonight on Twitter at 10pm ET. Thank you @hbomax for being in it for the long haul with me… I’m so grateful,” Dixon said in a tweet.
Following the Twitter premiere, On the Record can also be viewed on HBO Max’s YouTube Channel and the HBO Max platform via the film’s landing page, through Sept. 12. On the Record stirred added controversy when executive producer Oprah Winfrey and distributor AppleTV+ suddenly withdrew their involvement with the film ahead of its Sundance festival premiere, with Winfrey citing creative differences with the filmmakers as the reason for her cutting ties with the project.
Dick and Ziering produced On the Record via their Jane Doe Films with Dan Cogan for Impact Partners, while Regina K. Scully for Artemis Rising, Ian Darling for Shark Island and Abigail Disney for Level Forward served as executive producers.
