Aoki Lee Simmons, daughter of Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons, has been in the public eye since childhood. As she navigates adulthood, she juggles her career, education at Harvard, and the complexities of family relationships. Recent events have brought her personal life into sharper focus, particularly concerning her relationship with her father and her own body image.
Family Matters
Recent social media posts from Kimora Lee Simmons and Aoki have shed light on strained relationships within the Simmons family. Kimora and Aoki proclaimed they are fed up with Russell and his manipulative ways, which they detailed in a series of posts on Instagram. They accused the music executive of gaslighting and harassment and causing his 20-year-old to have panic attacks as a teenager. The issues appear to stem from disagreements and accusations of harassment and manipulation. Kimora claims Ming and Aoki have recently been “cut off” from their father.
Aoki believes Russell is “possessed” and says the change came out of nowhere for someone she was regularly close to and was a good co-parent. The Harvard Law graduate continued in the since-deleted post, “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 2am to scare her. He lashes out at ANYONE who does not say “oh Russell everything is fine”.
Kimora alleges he told their kids in text messages, “I’m broke." The young entertainer shared one text thread where ostensibly the entertainment mogul said, “literally broke.” It can be inferred from a few of the messages that her father’s erratic behavior gave her a “panic attack,” as noted. “I have been dealing with this my whole life. This is not new. It’s not new drama,” she expressed. “I already live in the drama, so now I’m just sharing. The runway model claims she’s currently living with a friend in New York because her father will not help her with rent.
After hours of criticism and ridicule, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings chose to speak out to defend his character instead of remaining silent. “God is testing you a little bit,” he began. “It’s ok, be strong. . . they are called growing pains . . . as you know, we grow through adversity and struggle . . . you read my books and heard me preach your whole childhood . . . reach back and to remember “smile and breathe” “smile and breathe” . . . you are the watchers of this world . . . so let go . “Be at ease,” Russell continued. “God is driving and he is working on you.” DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling . . .but know this . . . there are no conditions . . .
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Academic Pursuits
Aoki Lee Simmons was accepted into Harvard's class of 2023 at the age of 16. Like Jazz Jennings, The I Am Jazz star began her Harvard studies in fall 2021 after deferring admission two years earlier to focus on her mental health.
Body Image and Public Scrutiny
In addition to family matters, Aoki has also faced public scrutiny regarding her body image. Aoki made her debut on the runway in 2021 and shared how her mother gave her insightful beauty tips growing up. Kimora’s number one beauty tip? “When I was younger, I would look at techniques to achieve a more Euro-centric standard of beauty - like using a white line underneath your eyes to widen them. My mom was like, “Why? You’re Asian, you have smaller eyes, be proud of that,’” Aoki told W Magazine at the time. “She’s very much encouraged me to stop hiding my natural features. She’s big on curls - she’s like, ‘Keep it curly, keep it free, it makes you unique."
Kimora Lee Simmons has never publicly admitted to going under the knife, but she has challenged beauty standards over the years. “One thing about beauty I wish people would understand is that when you’re discussing trends for plastic surgery, or for cosmetics, everyone has to remember that no one face or feature is going to be the same. And it’s usually never going to be symmetrical. We were not intended to look alike,” she told the publication at the time. “So, when you think of beauty standards, I would like people to consider that diversity is key. Respect the differences in all of our faces.
Kimora re-launched Baby Phat in 2019 with her daughters Aoki and Ming Lee Simmons, whom she shares with her ex, and expanded the products into the beauty world. After modeling for fashion powerhouses, Kimora launched her fashion line Baby Phat in 1999, a sister brand to Phat Farm that was run by her now ex-husband Russell Simmons. Kimora has lived and breathed beauty her entire life, as she was discovered modeling at 13 years old and became the youngest person to ever walk in a Chanel fashion show. Although her striking features landed her jobs with high-end designers and brands, the St.
Embracing Individuality and Health
Aoki's journey reflects a growing emphasis on self-acceptance and healthy living. She and her mother advocate for embracing natural features and celebrating diversity in beauty standards.
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