Gene Simmons Facing Accusations of Sexual Harassment

Everyone knows that KISS “demon” Gene Simmons isn’t a bashful kind of guy. So it may not come as a surprise to some that the rock star who has reportedly claimed to have had sexual encounters with more than 4,000 women has been accused of acting inappropriately while in the company of a an ESPN makeup artist.

Appearing on an episode of SportsCenter late last year, the fact that Simmons and Victoria Jackson found themselves in close physical contact is not surprising. Makeup artists must literally get in their client’s faces in order to do their job. This, according to Jackson, was seen as a window of opportunity for Simmons to indulge in a little impromptu “grinding.”

Jackson has said that the incident has caused her “humiliation, shame, anger, anxiety, and depression,” and is  seeking a $185,000 settlement from Simmons.

Simmons has reportedly refused to agree to the out-of-court settlement, and it appears that the case may be headed for trial.

Some sources also indicate that Simmons has not even denied the incident, and indicated that his actions do not constitute harassment when he’s in costume. Another report quotes Simmons saying that Jackson’s claim is “implausible if not impossible,” due to the restrictions imposed upon his anatomy by his costume.

“He said, she said” cases can be quite difficult to prove, especially in a case like this where no physical evidence is present. If reports that Simmons has not denied the accusations are accurate, it appears he could be setting himself up to be on the wrong end of an expensive transaction.

As a rock star and an entrepreneur, a substantial payout is not going to put him in the poor house, but at the same time, it’s probably not a good idea to look like a pushover – a move that could result in more trouble of this variety in the future.

Perhaps the 60-year-old rock legend just regards these kinds of things as a cost of doing business the way he likes to do business. Then again, depending on which account is accurate, maybe Simmons is totally innocent.

Simmons is said to have filed his own complaint in court against Jackson for threatening to file a lawsuit against him if he does not agree to the settlement.