Kimora Lee Simmons gave her supporters an update on how she’s been doing after calling out her ex-husband Russell Simmons’ alleged abusive behavior.
While speaking at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans over the weekend, the fashion mogul said “I’m OK” after her big public social media dispute between her, her oldest daughters Aoki and Ming Lee, and her ex. During a backstage interview via a video shared on the @theybf_daily’s Instagram Story, she explained, “I’m always OK. I’m a tough chic, I’m a single mom of five kids, that’s why I’m here because so many women are here. So much Black girl joy, brown girl joy. all the shades of joy. So it just feels good for me to be in a room like this.”
Essence Festival marked her first public appearance since she and her girls took to social media to blast Russell Simmons while emotionally detailing what they had been going through for years.
As we previously started, it all began with Ming Lee Simmons wishing her mother a Happy Father’s Day instead of her Russell. The Def Jam founder seemingly responded by targeting his ex-wife, writing, “Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all.”
From there, Kimora took to Instagram Live where she became emotional while recounting the alleged verbal attacks she and her daughters have allegedly been dealing with by Russell. “Please don’t attack my children, they’ve been through so much. Don’t attack my family — which is supposed to be your family too,” Kimora tearfully said in a direct message to Russell on live “Don’t do that because you’re at rock bottom, I don’t know, you’re grasping at straws. This is a money grab? I don’t really know what this is,” she questioned.
At the same time, Aoki took to her Instagram Live where she completely broke down in tears as she explained the status of her relationship with her father. “This man is awful to me. He has done awful things to me and I’m so tired of it.” Aoki also shared screenshots of Russell talking bad about her mom Kimora and even calling her a “piece of sh**” as well as a silenced video of him yelling at her via FaceTime.
After the online drama, Russell eventually spoke out took to apologize to his daughters. “God is testing you a little bit, it’s ok, be strong. . . they are called growing pains . . . as you know, we grow through adversity and struggle,” the music executive in an Instagram post. “You read my books and heard me preach your whole childhood . . . reach back to old lessons and remember to remember ‘smile and breathe’ ❤️ ‘smile and breathe’ . . . you are the watchers of this world . . . so let go . . . be at ease . . . God is driving and he is working on you ❤️.” Speaking on the video of him yelling at Aiko, he said he was “DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling.”
Things seem to have simmered down since then, but it looks like Kimora and her girls are trying their best to stay positive through it all.