Kimora Lee Simmons reflects on her daughter Aoki’s controversial romance with Vittorio Assaf.
Image: Picture: X/@xonecole
Kimora Lee Simmons is finally spilling the tea on what she really thought when her then-21-year-old daughter, Aoki Lee, started dating 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf in April 2024.
The relationship, which began while the pair were vacationing in St. Barths, a family favourite of the Simmons clan, made headlines instantly, and Kimora is now giving her side of the story.
In a clip from the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast shared exclusively with "People" ahead of the December 9 episode, Kimora spoke with host Amanda Hirsch about how she felt watching her daughter navigate the whirlwind romance.
“What was your reaction to that in real time?” Hirsch asked.
“I let my kids make their own mistakes, like I said. That’s the whole thing we were saying about living out your life in public, and I think that’s very, very, very tough,” Kimora began.
“I don’t even think that was a moment for them, though. Or I should say the opposite. I think it was just that - a moment. I don’t think it was anything else.”
She explained she knew Assaf in passing but had never met him in the context of her daughter dating him. “I know this guy growing up myself. He’s a restaurateur. I don’t know, I don’t want to get into troubles legally, but I think his reputation probably precedes him,” she said.
She admitted the speed of the relationship caught her off guard. “It went from 0 to 100 really quick, and I was like, ‘Aoki, I didn’t even know this was a thing’. I found out when the world found out,” she confessed.
“So that was what was so shocking. And you can’t say as a mom, and I’ve learned all these crazy things. You can’t give the ‘I told you so,’ right now. You can’t give the ‘What the hell are you doing’ right now.”
Meanwhile, Aoki’s father, Russell Simmons, has reportedly taken a more hands-off approach. According to reports, he offered “advice and unconditional love”, making it clear he wasn’t going to “kick and scream” about his daughter’s choices.
Fans had mixed reactions to his stance, with some feeling he was being too relaxed given the 44-year age gap. Despite the scrutiny, Russell publicly reaffirmed his support for Aoki, emphasising that he’s there for her.
Since Russell and Kimora’s divorce, the family has faced public tensions, including Aoki accusing Russell of abusive behaviour and Ming posting a seemingly pointed Father’s Day message to support her mother.
Russell responded with an Instagram Story addressing parental responsibility, then later apologised to both daughters in a post, urging them to move forward after the family’s very public disputes.