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Kimora Lee Simmons has claimed that her ex-husband, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, of threatening behavior in a series of social media posts. In Instagram stories viewed by The FADER, Kimora Lee wrote "this man has been threatening my kids’ lives. I’m hearing so much more now. We won’t be bullied threatened or afraid." She shared the message alongside a series of abusive text messages seemingly sent by Russell to their daughter, Aoki Lee.
In the messages posted online, Kimora claimed that Russell threatened to financially “ruin” his daughters’ lives and would stop them from gaining jobs in the fashion industry. Speaking about her ex-husband, who she divorced in 2009, she said, "This is not someone who will accept help."
In her own series of Instagram posts, 20-year-old Aoki Lee shared screengrabs of text messages seemingly sent between herself and her father in which she claimed she has suffered panic attacks due to his behavior. "No one should live like this," she wrote in one post. "No one’s child. This is abuse."
Since 2017, Simmons has faced accusations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct from over 20 women. He has "vehemently" denied any wrongdoing, going so far as to launch (and subsequently pause) his own #NotMe campaign in response to #MeToo.
In 2021 Russell Simmons sued Kimora, alleging that she had stolen shares in a company to pay a fine her then-partner Tim Leissner had received. She countersued in 2022 and won $100,000.
The FADER has reached out to both Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons reps for comment.
