An entire timeline of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons' marriage and divorce

Simmons and Lee first met in 1992.

Simmons, the cofounder of Def Jam Data, first met Lee whereas she was modeling at New York Vogue Week in 1992, in response to Folks.

Regardless of Simmons being 35, and Lee being simply 17 and nonetheless a sophomore in highschool once they met, they quickly started relationship.

In 2020, Simmons stated that they did not start relationship till Lee turned 18 and that Lee’s mom accredited of their relationship.

“She was authorized at 17 however she turned 18 that will her mom and her supervisor Bethann Hardison accredited supported and rushed us (we actually did not want a push),” he wrote on Instagram.

They married six years later.

Simmons and Lee married in a civil ceremony in Manhattan, New York on December 15, 1998.

Later that month, they’d a nondenominational ceremony on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy, which was officiated by Simmons’ youthful brother, Joseph Simmons, finest generally known as Run of the rap group Run-D.M.C.

Lee informed Vainness Honest in 2005 that their St. Barts ceremony was virtually derailed by one in every of her bridesmaids “as a result of they needed Russell” and “could not take it.”

They welcomed their first little one in 2000.

Ming Lee Simmons was born on January 21, 2000.

Tyra Banks, who was a bridesmaid at Simmons and Lee’s marriage ceremony, was named as Ming’s godmother.

Ming, now 23, graduated from New York College earlier this yr and is at the moment working as a mannequin.

Russell and Kimora’s second little one was born in 2002.

Aoki Lee Simmons was born on August 16, 2002.

Now 20, Aoki graduated from Harvard in Might, having been accepted into the Ivy League faculty at simply 16 years outdated.

Simmons and Lee introduced their break up in 2006.

Asserting their break up, Simmons stated he and Kimora had already been separated for a while however that they’d “proceed to stay dedicated dad and mom and caring buddies with nice love and admiration for one another.”

Lee formally filed for divorce in March 2008, citing “irreconcilable variations.” The divorce was finalized in January 2009.

They appeared to keep up a very good relationship after their break up.

Simmons remained part of Lee, Ming, and Aoki’s life after they parted methods.

In 2007, Lee started relationship actor Djimon Hounsou, and in January 2009, she revealed she was pregnant with Hounsou’s little one.

Simmons was supportive of the connection.

“He is a beautiful man, a really candy man. I would like her to be completely happy it doesn’t matter what,” Simmons informed Folks in 2007.

Lee and Hounsou break up in 2012.

Simmons even introduced Lee’s second marriage to the world.

In February 2014, rumors started circulating that Lee was relationship rap mogul Birdman after he described her on Instagram as being “the love of his life.”

Simmons, nonetheless, shut down these rumors, as an alternative revealing that his ex-wife was now married to funding banker Tim Leissner. 

“All of us love @OfficialKimora however the truth is she is fortunately married,” Simmons wrote on Twitter. “Tim is has been household for some time now.”

However issues have since turned bitter.

In Might 2021, Vainness Honest reported that Simmons was taking Lee and Leissner to courtroom, accusing them of fraud.

Simmons claimed Lee and Leissner conspired to fraudulently switch almost 4 million of his shares of the energy-drink firm Celsius to their accounts in an effort to pay Leissner’s $44 million bail price from a 2018 cash laundering case during which he pleaded responsible.

Lee filed a countersuit in opposition to Simmons in July.

In November 2022, Simmons was ordered to pay Lee over $100,000 after a choose at Los Angeles Superior Court docket dominated in her favor.

Lee is now accusing Simmons of being abusive towards their daughters.

On Monday, Simmons shared a cryptic story on Instagram which appeared to take goal at Lee.

“Cease telling fathers they need to have fought more durable to see their youngsters & begin asking moms why he needed to battle in any respect,” the story learn.

Hitting again in a collection of tales of her personal, Lee accused Simmons of “threatening my children’ lives.”

“Depart my children alone,” she wrote. “This narrative of attacking the one caregiver, the one father or mother within the dwelling with the children, the mother, AND the children for one’s personal shortcomings and embarrassments is useless. Useless. Useless.”

Lee additionally accused Simmons of being “abusive” to different ladies in his life.

“The identical abusive ish,” she wrote. “That is the way you manouver with the ladies throughout you. Your threats and lies and intimidation manouvers and ways are unhappy. Cease it please. Your personal flesh and blood? Sufficient is sufficient.”

Eighteen ladies have beforehand accused Simmons of sexual misconduct. He denies all accusations.

Aoki has additionally spoken out in opposition to her father.

Posting a video of Russell showing to yell at her over FaceTime to her Instagram web page, Aoki wrote: “This isn’t somebody who will settle for assist.”

“This is only one display recording sorry I do not at all times bear in mind to press ‘document’ when he calls my buddies, my boyfriend, anybody, to get an opportunity to threaten and curse and go loopy,” she wrote.

Aoki additionally posted a video of herself explaining that though she and her dad was shut, he has “fully modified” in current occasions. 

“A few of us do suppose he is mentally in poor health or experiencing like dementia,” she wrote in one other story. “He actually acts like he hates and doesn’t know youngsters incessantly.”

Aoki additionally shared screenshots of textual content messages between her and her father to her Instagram story, during which he known as Lee a “piece of shit” and accused her of stealing his cash.

Representatives for Simmons didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.