How old was Kimora Lee when she met Russell Simmons? Controversial age gap surfaces in wake of Father's Day allegations

American model Kimora Lee made some serious accusations against her ex-husband Russell Simmons. The 48-year-old personality took to her Instagram story on June 19, 2023, to share some details about their family feud, after Simmons shared a post that seemingly targeted the model.

The post read:

"Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all."

Lee then took to her Instagram story to accuse Simmons of threatening their kids, adding that they won't be "bullied, threatened or afraid."

Screenshot of Lee's Instagram story. (Photo via @kimoraleesimmons/Instagram)

Lee, who shares two kids with Simmons - Ming Lee (23) and Aoki (20) - asked the Def Jam Recordings co-founder to leave them alone, stating that he is attacking her to cover up his own shortcomings.

Screenshot of Lee's Instagram story. (Photo via @kimoraleesimmons/Instagram)

Lee, who allegedly met the record executive when she was 17, also accused Russell Simmons of being "abusive" to the women in his life. The executive has been accused of s*xual misconduct by 18 women in the past.

Screenshot of Lee's Instagram story. (Photo via @kimoraleesimmons/Instagram)

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Netizens pointed out the age gap between Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons after her accusations

After Kimora Lee's allegations against Russell Simmons went viral, netizens started pointing out the controversial age gap of 17 years between the two.

One of the users tweeted:

Another said:

However, it was not just Lee who accused Simmons but also their eldest daughter, Aoki, who took to her Instagram stories to share her alleged beef with her father. She posted a video of her FaceTime where Simmons is seemingly yelling at her while she is sitting there teary-eyed.

As per People Magazine, she wrote:

"This is not someone who will accept help. This is just one screen recording sorry I don’t always remember to press 'record' when he calls my friends, my boyfriend, anyone, to get a chance to threaten and curse and go crazy."

Aoki also shared screenshots of her chats with Simmons where she accused him of harassing her boyfriend and friends if she would block him. In another conversation, the record executive accused Lee of stealing his money.

Screenshots of Aoki Lee Simmons' Instagram story. (Photo via @aokileesimmons/Instagram)

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Brief relationship timeline of Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons

The high-profile romance between Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons started when she was allegedly 15-16 and the latter was in his 30s. While speaking to Vlad TV in 2018, a journalist named Toure said that Lee was just a teenager when she crossed paths with Simmons and began dating.

“I was at a lunch in the Hamptons with maybe about 8-9 people, it was a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and Kimora was there, she barely spoke, if at all, she was 16 and she was around a group of 20 and 30-somethings.”

Although Russell Simmons has denied the accusations that he started dating Lee when she was underage, Toure remembers it differently.

“There’s some bickering about whether she was 16 or 17. I remember being introduced to her and being told that she was 16. Even if she was 17, what are we talking about here? You [Russell] were in your 30s…even if we concede 17, what’s really the difference?”

Four years after they first met, the duo tied the knot at St. Barts. Less than two years into marriage, Lee announced her pregnancy with her first child with Simmons. In January 2000, the duo welcomed their first daughter, Ming Lee Simmons, whose godparent is Tyra Banks.

In August 2002, the pair welcomed their second daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, who recently graduated from Harvard.

In 2008, Lee filed for divorce from Russell, citing "irreconcilable differences." As per CheatSheet, the real reason behind their split was the record executive's infidelity during their marriage.