Russell Simmons's Kids Are Publicly Feuding With Him — Here's Why

Published on 6/22/2023 at 6:50 PM

Getty/ Shareif Ziyadat

Def Jam Recordings cofounder Russell Simmons is being accused of verbal abuse by ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons and their daughters, Ming and Aoki Lee Simmons. It all started on June 18 when Ming seemingly shaded her dad by choosing to honor her mom on Father's Day instead of him. "Happy Father's Day 🤍," Ming wrote on her Instagram Story alongside a photo with Kimora. Shortly afterward, the record executive posted a cryptic message in which he appeared to blame his ex-wife for his strained relationship with his daughters. "Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children and start asking mothers why he had to fight at all," a quote on his Story read, according to Buzzfeed.

The drama only intensified when Aoki appeared to defend her mom by revealing the reason she cut ties with her father was due to her own 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. I cannot have a relationship with you until that stops," she said. "No one stops me from talking to you, my health does. I have to put that first."

Aoki shared a series of alarming messages from her father to back up her claims. In one video, Russell appears to yell at his youngest daughter over FaceTime as she cries. Text messages also show Russell calling Kimora "a piece of sh*t" for "stealing my money and the love of my kids," which Aoki denied by telling him, "She did not steal it. You lost it." She then suggested her father was "mentally ill" or "experiencing something like dementia" because he "really acts like he hates and does not know his children frequently." Aoki said that "prior to his media issues," Russell was "the best dad ever" and was even best friends with Kimora, which is why his change in behavior over the years has been "terrifying" to witness.

Kimora also got involved by accusing her ex-husband of "threatening" her kids' lives and doing "the same abusive ish" to all of the women around him, which is seemingly a reference to the sexual misconduct allegations toward him, per Rolling Stone. "Your threats and lies and intimidation maneuvers and tactics are sad. Stop it please. Your own flesh and blood? Enough is enough," the model wrote on her Story, adding that Russell had also come after their daughters' careers. "You said Aoki (and Ming) would never work again and that you'd RUIN HER (and them)??! Really?" Since then, Russell has seemingly apologized to his family by writing on Instagram, "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."

If the Father's Day drama has ignited your interest in the Simmons family, then scroll through the slideshow to learn more about Russell's daughters.

Russell Simmons's Daughter, Ming Lee Simmons

According to People, Russell and Kimora met at New York Fashion Week in 1992 when the record executive was 35 and the model was 17. Despite their age difference, the couple fell in love and got married in 1998. The stars then welcomed their oldest daughter, Ming Lee, on Jan. 21, 2000, before their youngest daughter, Aoki Lee, arrived two years later. In the beginning, the family of four appeared very close. They were always together in public. In fact, photos reveal that during Ming and Aoki's early modeling days, Russell and Kimora constantly supported their daughters by cheering them on from the crowd. Even after the pair broke up in 2006, per People, Russell and Kimora would often still be seen together with their kids.

In an August 2007 interview with People, Kimora said she and Russell were "great partners" who raised a "beautiful family" together. Although she admitted things haven't "always been great" between them, they remained friends as they focused on co-parenting their kids. "I'm a very hands-on mother. But he's a very nurturing dad," she told the publication at the time. While she said Russell wasn't around their daughters as much as she was, she praised her ex for always being there for her. "[We talk about them] every day. All day. I would call for anything. We're very connected to our children," she said.

As a kid, Ming modeled for her mother's Baby Phat and Baby Phat Girlz clothing lines, which were under the umbrella of Russell's Phat Fashions. Since then, Ming has walked the runway at various shows around the world and has even been featured on the cover of magazines like Galore and Disrupshion. In 2019, Ming also helped her mother relaunch Baby Phat.

Most recently, Ming graduated from New York University in May. "It feels crazy to finally be done with school," she told Hypebae in June. "I keep telling my friends that I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with myself. But jokes aside, I'm looking forward to traveling a bit in my immediate future. Being able to get inspired by culture and learn more about the world and specifically my heritage is something I'm really looking forward to."

Ming also said she was "excited" to work more on her personal brand and maybe return to school in the future.

Russell Simmons's Daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons

Russell and Kimora's youngest daughter, Aoki, was born on Aug. 16, 2002. Similar to her sister, Aoki also started her modeling career at a young age. As a kid, Aoki often walked beside her mom and sister at several fashion shows, including for Child Magazine and Baby Phat. After helping relaunch her mother's clothing line in 2019, Aoki made her official runway debut in July 2021 by walking in Pyer Moss's fashion show as part of Paris Couture Week, per People. Later that year, Aoki also landed her first brand partnership with Just Fab.

Outside of modeling, Aoki made headlines in 2019 when her mother announced that she got accepted to Harvard University at just 16 years old. After graduating from the Ivy League school in June, Aoki told People, "I feel grateful, proud and relieved — in that order! It's a surreal feeling to be done with something that was such a huge part of my life. Now, like every other graduate, I'm on to the next chapter." She gave a shout-out to "the village of people" that helped her along the way, including her mom, sister, and little brothers. (Kimora is mom to sons Kenzo, Wolfe, and Gary.)

Although Aoki and Ming's relationship with their father has been rocky, Russell was still a part of their lives as teenagers. In a June 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Russell had nothing but kind words to say when talking about his daughters. "They teach me humility. Every day teach me everything. They're such beautiful little minds, you know, and I learn so much from them," he said. "I learned about purpose with them. You know, there's nothing — before you have children, there isn't nothing you would lay your life down for. You say it. And I think almost any parent feels that. I don't think I'm unique when I say that."

In 2015, Aoki and Ming accompanied their father to the annual Art for Life Benefit event and then went with him again in 2017. While they haven't attended another public event with him since then, Kimora confirmed in May 2020 that she was still on good terms with Russell despite the pair divorcing over a decade prior in 2009. "I admired his kindness, his spirituality, he's a very deep-thinker, a very good person with a very big heart," she told Us Weekly at the time. "I think just a little bit of those things have rubbed off on myself and the kids. I think it's for the better and all that makes things all the better. We're friends and he's very supportive. We get along and it's pretty easy."