Kimora Lee Simmons says that she’s doing “OK” after she and her two eldest daughters accused ex-husband Russell Simmons of abusive behavior. Kimora spoke about the situation while attending the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans over the weekend.
“I’m always OK, I’m a tough chick. I’m a single mom of five kids,” she said in the interview. “That’s why I’m here because so many women are here. So much black girl joy, brown girl joy, all the shades of joy. So, it just feels good for me to be in a room like this.”
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 05: Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons attend the Argyleculture By Russell Simmons show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 at Helen Mills Event Space on September 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)
She also described attending the festival as feeling like “coming home.” “Everybody’s been like, ‘Auntie Kimora! Auntie’s here,’” she added. It marks her first public appearance since Father’s Day, when Ming Lee Simmons and Aoki Lee Simmons both blasted Russell. In doing so, Aoki revealed that her father would “yell and scream about a legal situation” while adding that “every phone call” with her father was filled with “anger,” “rage,” “cursing” and “screaming.”
“Until a short time ago, this is the man who told me ‘always defend and look after your mother girls,’ and ‘never let a man curse at you,’ ‘you call Daddy if a man ever tries to yell [at] you or scare you,” she wrote of Russell on Instagram, adding that “real men don’t shout at women and girls.”
Russell eventually publicly apologized for his behavior on his own Instagram page. “DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling… but know this… there are no conditions… for sure I love you guys more than I love myself,” he wrote. Seemingly addressing himself, he also followed up: “God is testing you a little bit, it’s ok, be strong.”
The daughter of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons, Aoki, has spoken out after receiving backlash. She’s been getting hate following her and her mother’s public feud with her father. Kimora took to Instagram earlier this month to expose her ex-husband. She unveiled a screen-recorded clip of Russell screaming at Aoki during a FaceTime call. “I’m so sorry to have to do this,” she said at the time. She explained, “This man has been threatening my kids’ lives.”
Kimora further revealed screenshots of messages between Aoki and her father, where the alleged abuse is detailed further. Amid the feud, Aoki says that she’s been receiving a great deal of misogynistic hate online. “I wonder how your mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, girlfriends, wives would feel seeing some of the sexist, racist, honestly foul comments and messages some of you ‘men’ are leaving me,” she wrote in a recent Instagram Story.
“The misogynistic stereotypes and names, the absolute hate for women of color a lot of your comments show, just waiting to take your anger at how you feel you’ve been ‘treated’ by women.” Aoki continues, “All of us ‘b*tches are like this’ and ‘this is the problem with you girls/women/black women/hoes/skanks today?’ No, how about all YOU b*tches are like this.“
The 20-year-old then shared a photo of herself as a young child being held by her father. She writes, “Until a short time ago, this is the man who told me ‘always defend and look after your mother girls.” Aoki continues, “‘Never let a man curse at you’ ‘You call your daddy if a man ever tries to yell at you or scare you that’s never ok!’” She explains, “Real men don’t shout at women and girls.” She then calls out the “toxic men” defending her father in her comments section, telling them that their behavior is “pathetic.” Aoki claims that even her father would agree.
Jess Hilarious has shared her thoughts on the recent public drama among Russell Simmons and his family. She shared that she believes the drama shouldn’t be put online for the world to see, further criticizing his ex-wife and daughter for exposing his behavior. “I feel like Aoki and Kimora [are] just like, ‘destroy, destroy, destroy,” she revealed. The comedian says that the public should hear Russell’s side of the story before making any judgments on the situation. “Every story got three sides,” she explains. She additionally compared the Simmons’ situation to the feud between Master P and his son, Romeo Miller. “Romeo was still respectful,” she says, “Like, he wasn’t disrespectful to his dad.”
Simmons was recently exposed by his ex wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, for allegedly abusive behavior. “I’m so sorry to have to do this,” Kimora wrote in an Instagram Story, “But this man has been threatening my kids’ lives.” She continued, “I’m hearing so much more now. We won’t be bullied, threatened, or afraid.” She then shared a disturbing clip of him screaming at their daughter, Aoki, on FaceTime. Kimora additionally shared a screenshot where Aoki claims that she no longer speakers to her father due to him giving her panic attacks.
Aoki continued in the messages to Russell, “Every time I spoke to you, you would yell and scream about a legal situation that I can’t even respond to because I AM NOT INVOLVED.” The 20-year-old went on to tell her father, “I am your child, not your lawyer, your ex-wife, any of it. I can do nothing. Yet you yell at me like it’s my fault.”
Russell Simmons later took to Instagram to respond to the accusations, telling his daughters “I love you guys more then I love myself.” “We grow through adversity and struggle,” he further stated, “God is driving and he is working on you.”
Aoki Lee Simmons is the daughter of record executive Russell Simmons and fashion icon Kimora Lee Simmons. She’s just made history by becoming one of the youngest Black women to graduate from Harvard University. She was accepted into the institution at the age of 16. Aoki Simmons has also followed in her mother’s footsteps and is a model.
Most recently, the rising star has been in the spotlight after some shocking details were revealed about her father, Russell Simmons. He is one of the most prolific figures in the history of Hip Hop as the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and creator of Phat Farm. Despite the legacy both her father and her mom built, Aoki Lee’s own career is steadily on the rise, and she’s working hard to cement her name in the world of fashion. Along with her elder sister, Ming Lee, Aoki has gained fame on social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok. With her degree in the bag and the world ahead of her, there’s no stopping Aoki Lee Simmons.
Ming, Kimora and Aoki Lee Simmons during Olympus Fashion Week Fall 2004 – Baby Phat – Runway at Gotham Hall in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Aoki Lee Simmons was born on August 16, 2002, to Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons. At the time of her birth, her mother’s brand, Baby Phat had begun to enjoy widespread success. Straightaway, Aoki Lee and her sister Ming Lee became the faces of the brand. They became famous at a young age and were known for always closing out Baby Phat shows with their mother on the runway.
By 2007, Aoki Lee joined her mother and siblings on the reality TV series, Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane. The show focused on her mother’s home and work life as a mogul. Aoki’s father Russell Simmons also made appearances on the show. Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane ran for four seasons, and ended in 2011.
Several years after her mother’s reality show came to an end, Aoki Lee found herself gaining fame as a social media influencer. She has joined her mother on several humanitarian missions and frequently travels the world. Furthermore, she has found success in the fashion industry in her own right. In 2022, she made the decision to add modeling to her portfolio while she continued her studies at Harvard.
Her decision to pursue modeling came under fire from some, who wondered why she didn’t want to put her education to a different use. Aoki Lee gracefully responded, sharing that modeling is something she loves, and is willing to grow in the profession. “Well, one, models aren’t uneducated and not articulate,” she said in an Instagram post. “But two, I think what you’re really getting at is, why am I going into a field that doesn’t necessarily require a degree or require a whole lot of book smarts when I have a lot of education?”
Aoki Lee further reiterated that she’s interested in changing the narrative about models not being smart, or educated women not feeling sexy. “Well, one, because I love it, and I think we should normalize liking something. You don’t have to do what you’re immediately good at,” she continued. “I would like to change the idea that you can’t be smart and pretty, or you can’t be smart and enjoy your looks.”
She has since walked the runways at Pyer Moss and Carlton Jones. Alongside her modeling, she has designed a line for the popular direct-to-consumer brand, JustFab. She’s currently signed to Nomad management.
When she was just 16 years old, Aoki Lee was enrolled at Harvard University. She became one of the youngest Black women to achieve this feat. On May 29, she took to Instagram to celebrate her graduation, days after her sister Ming Lee’s at NYU. Aoki Lee also graduated with double majors, and her mother Kimora shared the news on her own social media page.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 19: Russell Simmons and Aoki Lee Simmons attend Champ Medici And Fam Lounge at Marquee on June 19, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
While many around the world celebrated Father’s Day, Aoki Lee Simmons called out her father Russell’s alleged abuse over the years. The entire situation kicked off after the record mogul posted a subliminal message taking a jab at his ex-wife Kimora. It wasn’t long before Kimora Lee took to her Instagram stories and posted a series of accusations against him.
Aoki Lee Simmons also took to social media to detail the decline in her relationship with her father. While she insisted they started out having a strong bond, she insists that something has become terribly wrong with Russell. On Instagram Live, she detailed a series of abusive behaviors that her father has exhibited in recent times while stating that she’s been scared to speak out for a long time because of her father’s influence.
In the 90s, very few women in fashion commanded authority quite like Kimora Lee Simmons. A woman of many talents, Simmons has been an unstoppable force since she first signed with Chanel at age 13. Since then, she’s gone on to succeed in numerous business ventures. Kimora Lee Simmons has added to her impressive repertoire by becoming a successful businesswoman and philanthropist.
Besides her impressive career, Simmons became Hip Hop royalty after her marriage to Russell Simmons. On June 18, the world at large celebrated Father’s Day. Barely 24 hours later, Simmons publicly called out her ex-husband. In a series of Instagram story posts, the fashion icon alleged that she and the two kids she shares with Russell have been subjects of abuse at the hands of the record executive.
Nonetheless, Kimora Lee Simmons remains a definitive figure in the history of fashion. She was a highly in-demand model in the 90s. By the 2000s, her brand Baby Phat became a global phenomenon. It didn’t take long before she ventured into the world of reality TV. Altogether, Simmons’ status as a fashion legend and business mogul is indisputable.
Kimora Lee Simmons plunged into global fashion success at the tender age of 13. When she was 11, her mother enrolled her in modeling classes to build her confidence. As a tall, biracial child of Black American, Japanese, and Korean descent, Simmons was the target of bullying. After being successfully scouted, she was flown to Paris where she started a meteoric rise to fame.
Simmons was signed exclusively to Chanel, where her racial ambiguity was put on full display by Karl Lagerfeld. Later on, she would walk the runway for many major fashion houses, including Fendi, YSL, and Valentino. In addition to this, she landed numerous magazine covers. Her love of fashion would eventually lead her to launch Baby Phat.
Kimora Lee Simmons during Olympus Fashion Week Fall 2004 – Baby Phat – After Party at Boulevard in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
After a highly successful decade, Kimora Lee Simmons extended her power in fashion to the world of design. In 1999, she launched the widely popular lifestyle brand, Baby Phat, an off-branch of Russell Simmons’ Phat Farm. The brand served to open several doors for many minority fashion designers. Baby Phat was also noted for being unmistakably inspired by Hip Hop’s style.
Baby Phat became such a huge phenomenon that it spread all across the globe. The brand was in extremely high demand in the 2000s, attaining monumental commercial success. Capitalizing on the popularity of the brand, Simmons continued to expand, accommodating several products besides clothing. By 2010, Simmons and Phat Fashions parted ways, but she relaunched the brand in 2019.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ successes in recent years are just as outstanding as her career in modeling and fashion design. In 2007, she gained a new set of fans after starring in her reality TV show. Titled, Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane, the series focused on the mogul’s personal life. Her three children at the time, Ming Lee, Aoki Lee, and Kenzo Lee all appeared, including her then-boyfriend, Djimon Hounsou, and her ex-husband Russell.
Simmons is also a bestselling author and has starred in several television shows and films. She has also appeared in three music videos — “Nice & Slow” by Usher, “Change Clothes” by Jay-Z, and “In Those Jeans” by Ginuwine. Altogether, Kimora Lee Simmons has cultivated such a multifaceted career that has stood the test of time.
Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons were married between 1998 and 2009. However, she and the media mogul separated and she began a relationship with actor Djimon Hounsou. The pair had an intimate ceremony in Hounsou’s native country Benin, but the union was not recognized in the United States. They separated in 2012, and two years later, she married investment banker, Tim Leissner, although they’re now estranged. She has five children altogether.
Not everyone had a happy Father’s Day on Sunday. Russell Simmons, one of rap’s most notorious dads, likely had a horrible one as his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons and daughters Aoki and Ming spent the day calling him out for what they describe as abusive behavior. After Ming, the eldest, wished her mother a happy Father’s Day on Instagram instead of Russell, he responded with an unsubtle meme, prompting Kimora and Aoki to share their experiences of being terrorized and gaslit by him.
On Monday, after Russell had shared the meme (“Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children and start asking mothers why he had to fight at all”), Kimora streamed herself on Instagram Live to detail how not only did Russell’s celebrity afforded him protection from accountability for his actions but also how he has lied about their relationship on social media despite her blocking him. One example is him sending himself flowers “from” her to post on Instagram. You can see a clip below.
Kimora Lee and her daughters Aoki and Ming are tired of protecting Russell Simmons image and are letting us know he’s a broke deadbeat pedo pic.twitter.com/isyNaRaIYl
Meanwhile, shortly thereafter, Aoki also started her own Live, corroborating some of her mom’s statements and explaining how the family’s relationship with Russell has deteriorated over the years. According to HipHopDX, she wrote on her Stories, “My father is not well, for years, he needs help and won’t accept that he refuses to acknowledge he is not himself. He has threatened and bullied my sister, my grandma, he has harassed my grandma in the middle of the night in poor health, send a man to my sisters apt at 2am to scare her. He lashes out at ANYONE who does not say ‘oh Russell everything is fine.’ Well it’s not fine. If I ‘never get a fashion job again’ like he threatens, I’ll be a lawyer I guess and work in criminal justice. Sure I love my job but if he takes it away from me I won’t die. You don’t threaten my sister and grandma and mother and say ‘who’s gonna believe you I’m Russell Simmons nobody thinks I’m crazy’ well he is.”
Aoki Lee Simmons says her father, Russell Simmons, has been awful to her for years on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/AVrQnr673s
Part 1: It’s been an interesting day for Russell Simmons. Earlier today, his ex wife Kimora aired him out on IG Live. And now, his daughter Aoki has taken to her live in tears, crying about how he allegedly treats her mother & sister. Russell was in the comments apologizing. pic.twitter.com/SIvrtL70YC
Idk what’s going on with Kimora Lee, Ming Lee, Aoki Lee & Russell Simmons but YIKES. She muted the video clip but I could make out him saying “I’M BROKE. SHE STOLE EVERYTHING.” pic.twitter.com/lNjxb9tERb
Russell Simmons, who was best known for his role as the co-founder of pivotal rap label Def Jam Recordings, was accused in 2017 of sexual assault by multiple women in incidents spanning decades, has since stepped down from the slew of companies he founded/directed.
If there’s one thing Usher’s Las Vegas residency stint has confirmed to fans, he’s just as much of a ladies’ man as ever. Since embarking on his latest round of shows in Sin City, the Houston native has surprised his audience with plenty of beautiful celebrity guests, from Teyana Taylor to Yung Miami. He’s been known to serenade a special select few attendees, and while Kim Kardashianpreviously got the star treatment, this weekend it was her friend who caught Usher’s attention.
As TMZ reports, Baby Phat designer Kimora Lee Simmons joined the socialite and her sister, Khloé, at the “OMG” hitmaker’s concert on Saturday (April 29). When Usher spotted them in the crowd, he didn’t hesitate to make the 47-year-old the object of his affection, singing to her while other patrons gazed on in envy. The fashionista didn’t hesitate to touch on the performer’s abs as he stood over her, and the younger Kardashian looks to have gotten in on the action as well. While it may be too close for comfort for some, Simmons and Usher are no strangers.
Usher Serenades Kimora Lee Simmons
She and the father of four previously worked together on his “Nice & Slow” visual several decades ago, in which things also got steamy. While Kim’s friends enjoyed the flirtatious action, she appears to have sat back and taken in the show, despite her very-much single status. This marks the SKIMS founder’s second weekend in a row visiting Vegas to watch Usher perform, proving just how much of a die-hard fan she is. Kardashian initially planned to catch a show some time back but ultimately had to postpone. Thankfully, she still got to experience a first-hand serenade from the vocal legend himself.
While the ongoing performances are certainly taking up much of his schedule, the 47-year-old has made it clear that he has his sights set on even bigger things. Just last week, he said he’s hoping to throw his hat in the ring to follow up Rihanna’s legendary Super Bowl Halftime show. Confirmation has yet to come, but it would surely be one for the books. Watch Kimora Lee Simmons’ appearance in Usher’s 1998 music video below. Afterward, tell us if you’ve been enjoying his Las Vegas residency antics so far in the comments.
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