When Kimora Lee Simmons discovered her daughter's love life, she was abruptly catapulted into the fabulous fast lane. The founder of Baby Phat detailed her reaction to learning that her 23-year-old daughter Aoki Lee Simmons, from her ex-husband Russell Simmons, had sparked a brief romance with 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf in 2024. The news hit Kimora particularly hard when photos of Aoki and Vittorio indulging in public displays of affection in St. Barths began circulating online. "It went from 0 to 100 really quick, and I was like, 'Aoki, I didn't even know this was a thing,'" she recalled during a Dec. 8 appearance on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. "I found out when the world found out. So that was what was so shocking."
Kimora admitted that she wasn't the biggest fan of the pairing, especially since she had similar dating experiences of her own. "Having gone through not exactly the same but similar—that big age-gap relationship, let's just call it that," she continued, "I do think it's predatory."
However, the Kimora: Back the Fab Lane star was careful not to overreact when she confronted her daughter. "I didn't say it in that way because it was this fast," she explained, snapping her fingers. "And it blew up to be so much, so then you can't be the mom that's like, 'What the hell are you doing?' But that definitely was the thing."
Luckily for Kimora, who is also mom to daughter Ming Lee Simmons, 25, with Russell, as well as sons Kenzo Lee Hounsou, 16, with ex Djimon Hounsou, Gary Lee Leissner, 15, with ex Tim Leissner, and Wolfe Lee, 10, who she welcomed through adoption in 2020, the romance seemed to have been over as quickly as it started. "I don't even think that was a moment for them—or I should say the opposite," she shared. "I think it was just that: a moment. I don't think it was anything else."
Ultimately, Kimora believes it's important to let her kids "make their own mistakes," even if those mishaps happen under a microscope for her family. "That’s the whole thing we were saying about living out your life in public," she said. "I think that’s very, very, very tough."
