Russell Simmons says he's 'deeply sorry' for yelling at daughters, remains silent on 'abuse' accusations
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Russell Simmons is "deeply sorry" after his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons and his daughter publicly accused him of his abusive behavior in a post shared on Father's Day. In a lengthy message posted on Instagram, he talked about the issue with his daughters Ming Lee Simmons, 23, and Aoki Lee Simmons, 20.
"God is testing you a little bit, it’s ok, be strong. . . they are called growing pains," he wrote in the post on Monday, June 19. "As you know, we grow through adversity and struggle . . . you read my books and heard me preach your whole childhood," the Def Jam Recordings co-founder continued.
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'I love you guys more than I love myself'
In his apology post, Simmons said, "Reach back to old lessons and remember to remember ‘smile and breathe’ ‘smile and breathe’ . . . you are the watchers of this world . . . so let go . . . be at ease . . . God is driving and he is working on you."
"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," the 65-year-old added. However, the comment section did not appear to be welcoming Simmons' public apology and sharing of his family issues with everyone.
Author Boyce Watkins commented, "Family stuff should not be settled on the internet. The public doesn’t care about Russell or his family – y’all just love the drama. I pray for your healing. All of you. Period," and rapper Fat Joe wrote, "This ain’t none of our business."
Simmons was provoked after his daughters wished their mother on 'Father's Day
The family's public feud began after eldest daughter Ming, wished Kimora a 'Happy Father's Day' instead of their father. The record executive then took to Instagram to share a cryptic post that read "Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all." Another post he shared read, "The father you have is the perfect father for the evolution of your soul and the lessons that you needed to learn in this lifetime."
After the entrepreneur shared the cryptic posts, his youngest daughter Aoki came live on Instagram to talk about how her father has been "awful" to her. "He has done awful things to me and I'm so tired of it," the Harvard graduate emotionally explained as she claimed she was not able to speak up against Simmons before as he was so beloved in his industry.
"So if I never get any jobs ever again then like fine, I'll go be a lawyer because I shouldn't have to lie or be bullied by a child," she said of her father's ability to have an impact on her career in modeling. "You cannot just abuse your kids behind closed doors and not take accountability. You don't get to do this," Aoki added.
In an Instagram Live on Monday, Kimora also spoke out about Simmons's alleged attack against her and her daughters. "Please don't attack my children, they've been through so much. Don't attack my family -- which is supposed to be your family too," she said. The now-separated exes got married in 1998 and broke up in 2006, according to Page Six.