Originally appeared on E! Online
Carlee Russell's ex-boyfriend is ready to share his side of the story.
Thomar Latrell Simmons addressed his ex's kidnapping hoax for what he described as "the first and last time" in a YouTube video Sept. 1, nearly two months after Russell disappeared for 49 hours before admitting she faked her own abduction. He said he's had no contact with the Alabama nursing student since the ordeal.
"I'm still healing, still coping," Simmons explained in the video. "It really traumatized me."
Simmons recalled his disbelief when he received a call from Russell's family on July 13, informing him that the now 26-year-old had gone missing after she stopped on the side of an Alabama highway and called police to report seeing a child on the side of the road.
Saying he was home at the time, Simmons responded, "What? Stop playing," and was told, "No, I'm serious. No, we can't find her." Simmons recalled thinking, "What is going on?"
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He said he got in his car and quickly drove over to the site. He "went to the search party, had no sleep, didn't take no shower" all while he was "looking for my girl."
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Russell eventually returned home on foot July 15, telling investigators she was captured by a man with orange hair and a woman but was able to escape, per a police press conference July 19. At the time, police also said Russell had Googled terms about Amber Alerts and the movie Taken before her disappearance. Yet, Simmons defended her three days later, asking social media users to stop their "bullying."
He said in his new YouTube video that he learned of hoax from a later police press conference. His reaction? "I was mad, I was sad. I was feeling all type of emotions, bro."
"If you really wanted to tell me the truth, you could have told me. You could have told me," the Birmingham man said, "before the police conference came out. You had time to tell me."
Simmons went on to address online rumors about his relationship with Russell, including allegations that he was the reason she disappeared because of his alleged involvement with a stripper. "There was no stripper," he said. "I was involved in no relations with no stripper."
He noted that the "cheater" and "player" accusations really "pissed me off."
E! News has reached out to Russell's lawyer for comment in response to his remarks and has not heard back.
Simmons also said that he and Russell had taken a trip to New York together one or two weeks before the incident, but said nothing happened on the trip.
"We were good. We were having fun," he recalled. "We were going and taking tours to the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge."
He noted that she was unchanged when they returned, clarifying, "We had a little argument but it was nothing to kidnap yourself over."
All in all, Simmons denied being a "clout" chaser, adding, "People crazy, bro. They don't know a thing about me and how I'm feeling."
Russell was ultimately arrested and charged with two misdemeanors: false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. If she's convicted, each charge includes up to a year in jail and a fine of $6,000. She was released July 28 after posting bond.
Russell's attorney said she admitted there was no kidnapping, adding it was a "single act" done alone.
"My client was not with anyone or any hotel with anyone from the time she was missing," her lawyer said in a statement read by police July 24. My client apologizes for her actions to this community, the volunteers who were searching for her, to the Hoover Police department and other agencies as well, [and] to her friends and family."
