On December 14, 2025, entrepreneur Russell Simmons pushed back publicly against Kimora Lee Simmons comments in a recent People magazine interview. In that interview she stated that she has “no relationship really” with the fathers of her children, and that she’s the one doing the day-to-day parenting.
Kimora made those comments while promoting her new reality series Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane. The comment was not limited to just Russell Simmons, but across her past relationships.
Other comments included that she’s “pretty much the primary parent,” and that the kids are with her “full-time,” while also admitting co-parenting can be “difficult.”
The Push Back
“I gave u 50,000 a month for 20 years.” That’s how Russell Simmons began his rebuttal on social media. A response that definitely reads like someone trying to put across their site of the story.
Along with claiming long-term financial support, Russell said that Kimora alienated him from their daughters, Ming Lee (25) and Aoki Lee (23). People reported that he also called himself her “best/only friend,” said he was godfather to her other children, and alleged she warned him he’d lose access to the kids if he sued her.
Russell’s post didn’t stop at emotions, it went straight to money. He repeated a familiar allegation, writing that the relationship fractured “until one day you stole my stock,” and he capped it with, “I have been fighting for my kids love and my bread ever since,” adding, “There are two sides to every story.”
The 2021 Lawsuit
Previously, People Magazine covered a 2021 lawsuit where Russell Simmons accused Kimora and her then-husband Tim Leissner of a fraudulent transfer. The lawsuit was over 4 millions shares of Celsius, that was alleged to have been used to cover Leissner’s legal and bail-related charges tied to a money laundering case. This story was backed by coverage in Vanity Fair.
According to the reports Russell sought a return of the shares, along with punitive damages, legal fees and a jury trial. Kimora’s team denied the claims and framed the suit as harassment.
The family’s conflicts continued to spill into the public view In June 2023, where People reported that a video was shared of Russell yelling over FaceTime, plus screenshots of tense text messages. Kimora accused him of being “abusive” and using threats and intimidation, saying the family would not tolerate it.
Kimora’s most recent interview states that her life “doesn’t ever revolve around a guy,” and she emphasized friends and family as the support system she actually counts on.
Celebrity parenting under a microscope
As someone in their mid-40s, I’ve grown up where celebrity gossip has become a main source of entertainment online. However, stories like this still catch me off guard. It’s one thing to disagree behind closed doors and legal proceedings, but today these scenarios too often play out in public places that kids, friends and colleagues can read. Making everything that little bit harder to move on from cleanly (or successfully).
Right now, the public record is mostly two competing narratives, Kimora saying she’s the primary parent and essentially solo, Russell saying he was financially present and then pushed out. People reported Kimora’s rep has not responded to a request for comment on Russell’s latest claims.