BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Kimora Lee Simmons and her daughter, Aoki, opened up about Russell Simmons' alleged abusive behavior. A day after Father's Day, they took to Instagram to speak out against the Def Jam Records co-founder after their eldest daughter, Ming, wished Kimora a 'Happy Father's Day' instead of their father.
Russell then shared a message claiming Kimora made it difficult for him to be a father to his children. "Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children and start asking mothers why he had to fight at all," read his Instagram Story. Russell and Kimora got married in 1998 and broke up in 2006, according to Entertainment Tonight.
'Please don't attack my children, they've been through so much'
Explaining Russell's alleged verbal attack on Kimora and their daughters, the model broke down in tears in an Instagram Live on Monday, June 19. She also revealed that he has been lying about their family's relationship status. "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 said.
"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 added. Kimora who filed for divorce in 2008 claimed that Russell has been blocked from her Instagram account for years and that his social media photos claiming he received flowers from her were not true.
Aoki said Russell has an impact on her modelling career
Aoki, the youngest daughter of the exes came live on Instagram to talk about how Russell has been "awful" to her. "He has done awful things to me and I'm so tired of it," Aoki emotionally explained as she said she was not able to speak up against him before as he was so beloved in his industry.
"So if I never get any jobs ever again then like fine, I'll go be a lawyer because I shouldn't have to lie or be bullied by a child," Aoki said of Russell's ability to have an impact on her career in modeling. "You cannot just abuse your kids behind closed doors and not take accountability. You don't get to do this," she added.
'My father is not well, for years, he needs help'
Sharing a silenced video of Russell shouting at her through FaceTime and screenshots of text messages where he calls their mother a "piece of shit," Aoki wrote, "My father is not well, for years, he needs help and won’t accept that he refuses to acknowledge he is not himself. He has threatened and bullied my sister, my grandma, he has harassed my grandma in the middle of the night in poor health, send a man to my sisters apartment at 2 am to scare her.
"He lashes out at ANYONE who does not say 'oh Russell everything is fine.' Well it’s not fine. If 'I never get a fashion job again' like he threatens, I’ll be a lawyer I guess and work in criminal Justice. Sure I love my job but if he takes it away from me I won’t die. You don’t threaten my sister and grandma and mother and say “who’s gonna believe you I’m Russell Simmons nobody thinks I’m crazy” well he is," she added.
