Russell Simmons isn’t holding back after his ex-wife and mother of his children, Kimora Lee Simmons, recently claimed she has no relationship with any of her kids’ fathers.
The fashion mogul, 50, shares two daughters with her ex-husband and Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, 68: Ming Lee Simmons, 25, and Aoki Lee Simmons, 23. She also has son Kenzo Lee Hounsou, 16, with actor Djimon Hounsou, 61. Another son, Wolfe Lee Leissner, 10, is with former investment banker Tim Leissner, 54, who was sentenced to two years in prison earlier this year for bribery and money laundering.
She also adopted son Gary Lee, 16, from Jamaica in 2020 and is a “bonus mom” to Jayden, 19, who’s been part of her family since fourth grade.
Kimora Lee Simmons Says She ‘Doesn’t Have A Relationship’ With Her 3 Baby Daddies, Russell Simmons Claps Back
During a recent chat with PEOPLE, Kimora opened up about her co-parenting dynamic, or lack thereof, stating she’s estranged from all three of her baby daddies. “I don’t have a relationship really” with any of them, she confessed. “Usually I would say that I co-parent okay, but the kids are with me full-time. I’m pretty much the primary parent. It’s difficult, but I don’t know sometimes what other people are thinking. Guys are weird.”
Kimora credited her strong “village” of “friends and family and people my kids can rely on” for support over the years. She proudly affirmed her lifelong dedication to motherhood, saying, “I’m always ‘the mom.’ I mother people all around me. When I hear people say to me, ‘I’ve come to you as a mom or best friend in my head,’ that’s what I live for.”
She also shared that she’s happily single, emphasizing that her “life doesn’t ever revolve around a guy, ever.” Kimora further elaborated:
“I am thankful I’m able to be there for my family in ways that other people or parents are not. If I wasn’t this person, I don’t know if we would’ve made it or if we would be okay. It’s been very important to me to be strong and self-reliant, and to constantly be growing.
Ming and Aoki are older, but I think they still feel very much like I’m ‘mom,’ and I think that’s okay. For sure they can come to me. They live at home, they travel the world and they have a place in New York.”
However, Russell Simmons wasn’t about to let those claims slide. He quickly took to Instagram Threads to fire back, saying:
“I gave u 50,000 a month for 20 years. I was ur best /only friend. I’m the godfather to your other 3 kids, until one day you stole my stock. I have been fighting for my kids love and my bread ever since. You threatened that if I sued you, I would never speak to my kids again. There are two sides to every story.”
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