Who is Aoki Lee Simmons? Kimora Lee Simmons fumes at ex-husband Russell after disturbing video shows him berating their tearful daughter
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a series of Instagram stories posted on Monday, former model Kimora Lee Simmons, 48, made serious allegations against her ex-husband and ousted Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons. Kimora accused Russell of "threatening" their youngest daughter Aoki Lee Simmons and shared a distressing muted FaceTime call between Russell and Aoki, where he appeared angry and berated her.
Expressing her concern for her children's safety, Kimora wrote, "I'm so sorry to have to do this. But this man has been threatening my kids' lives. I'm hearing so much more now. We won't be bullied, threatened, or afraid, Who [gives a f***]." Kimora emphasized that his behavior is abusive and unacceptable, adding, "No one should live like this. No one's child. This is abuse. Not okay. The threats, not okay. The fear mongering. Not okay."
(Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Child Magazine)
Who is Aoki Lee Simmons?
Born on August 16, 2002, Aoki is the daughter of hip-hop mogul Russell and his ex-wife, model, and entrepreneur Kimora. Aoki gained public attention at a young age due to her parents' fame and their appearances on reality television shows. The couple's youngest daughter, Aoki is a Harvard University graduate and currently works as an intern for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The pair also share a 23-year-old daughter, Ming Lee Simmons.
Kimora and Russell were married for 11 years before divorcing in 2009 citing irreconcilable differences. The Simmons family faced legal disputes in 2018 after Russell Simmons sued Kimora and her second husband Tim Leissner, alleging that they had stolen 4 million shares of his stocks. The lawsuit claimed a fraudulent transfer of Russell's 50% shares in the energy drink company Celsius to cover Leissner's legal and bail fees, totaling $44 million.
'I am you child, not your lawyer'
Aoki also shared the aforementioned muted video of the FaceTime conversation with her father, highlighting the negative impact it had on her mental health. "Dad, I stopped talking to you because you were giving me panic attacks to the point I was placed on emergency medication every time we spoke," Aoki wrote in a text. "I cannot have a relationship with you until that stops. No one stops me from talking to you, my health does. I have to put that first. 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! I am you child, not your lawyer, your ex-wife - any of it."
"I can do nothing. Yet you yell at me like it's my fault. You were putting so much anger and rage on me every phone call. Cursing, screaming, and god knows what else. I'm sorry but I cannot be the target of that, it's not fair. It got to the point I could not hear your voice without having an anxiety attack. You have to at least respect I'm putting my health and well-being first," she added.
In one text shared, Russell repeatedly calls Kimora a "piece of s***" who has "stolen my money and the love of my kids." "She did not steal it. You lost it. Understand? You lost it with your actions," Aoki defended her mother in her reply. In another exchange, Russell said, "Your mother and Tim [Leissner] took what equals $250 million dollars of my money." Aoki replied, "You are being blocked for not respecting my boundaries. I asked you 10 million times to not talk to me about this lawsuit again." Kimora, in addition to her children with Russell, has two sons with her second husband Tim. She also has a son from a previous relationship with Djimon Hounsou, with whom she was engaged.