BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Kimora Lee Simmons has shared she is doing "OK" after she and her daughters Ming Lee Simmons and Aoki Lee Simmons opened up about Russell Simmons' alleged abusive behavior. "I’m always OK. I’m a tough chick. I’m a single mom of five kids," the TV personality shared during an interview at the Essence Festival of Culture on Saturday, July 1.
"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," she continued. The 48-year-old model said the New Orleans festival where she is representing fashion felt like "coming home," and added, "Everybody’s been like, ‘Auntie Kimora! Auntie’s here'", reported Page Six.
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Kimora and her daughters accused Russell of being 'directly harmful'
Kimora made her first public appearance at the festival after the public feud with her ex-husband since Father's Day when she and her daughter accused the Def Jam Records co-founder of being "directly harmful." The businesswoman's 20-year-old daughter Aoki took to social media at the time as she claimed her Russell would "yell and scream about a legal situation" in which she is "not involved." She further added that "every phone call" with her father was filled with "anger," "rage," "cursing" and "screaming."
On her Instagram handle, the college student told her followers that she "did not side with anyone over any legal business, he’s been directly harmful" to her. "He tries to get at my mom by hurting us," she said.
Aoki blocked Russell on social media for 'not respecting' her boundaries
Aoki also posted screengrabs of messages and screen recording of a now-deleted muted FaceTime call that showed Russell screaming at her. "It got to the point … I could not hear your voice without having an anxiety attack," read one of her messages to her father. She also shared that although the music executive was "blocked for not respecting [her] boundaries," she still loves him. On Father's Day, Aoki wished her mother Kimora a happy Father’s Day on social media instead of her father Russell.
Russell apologized for his behavior
Following the backlash, Russell took to Instagram to apologize for his behavior. However, he downplayed the abuse accusations. "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," the entrepreneur wrote to his daughters. In a message Russell appeared to have referred to himself, he wrote, "God is testing you a little bit, it’s ok, be strong."
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