Russell Simmons Has Father’s Day From Hell, Kids & Ex Blast Him

Russell Simmons experienced a Father’s Day that he would presumably rather forget, as his estranged family has leveled serious accusations against the music mogul, claiming he excels at gaslighting and has pushed them to their breaking point.

The day started on a bitter note when Russ’s eldest daughter, Ming, publicly snubbed her father and instead wished her mother, Kimora Lee Simmons, a Happy Father’s Day. That’s a big no-no. Just wish her a Happy Mother’s Day, but I digress. For some reason, the mogul-turned-yogi decided to take it to Instagram. He then posted a not-so-subtle message, calling out ex-wife Kimora Lee. He claims she’s responsible for creating obstacles in his role as a father to their children.

His children didn’t see things the same way and went in. On Juneteenth of all days, Kimora Lee went live and delved into the deep rooted issues with Russ, revealing she’s had him blocked him on social media for quite some time, yet he persists in posting as if they are good friends. Aoki, Russ’s other daughter, also shared a multitude of distressing text messages exchanged between her and her father, along with a muted video of him angrily ranting during a FaceTime call. There’s more about that FT call below.

Aoki expressed to her followers that she feels she has exhausted all options for repairing their relationship. Some in the family believe Russ may be grappling with a mental health issue. Well, I think all if this can bring out the worse in people. This has been a long time coming…

Earlier this month, Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons’ youngest daughter became one of the youngest graduates from Harvard University. However, we noticed her Def Jam pops was absent from both daughters’ graduation ceremonies in New York this month. Also, Russell Simmons stopped following Aoki on Instagram. In an Instagram post where Aoki expresses her gratitude and acknowledges everyone who played a role in her educational accomplishments, she noticeably doesn’t mention her famous father.

This has gone left. I hope they can get it together. This shouldn’t be our business.

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By the way, one thing that seems to be for sure is Russell Simmons’ finances are being taxed. At 65, he’s lived the life of a king, but it would appear his money is funny. In between the lines, his daughter seems to be talking about her money and career. It doesn’t seem like he’s able to help her with either.

Last year, Kimora Lee Simmons defeated Rush in court to the tune of $100,773.37. The exes are also former business partners. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Kimora Lee Simmons’ motion for attorney fees to be paid. At the time, he was ordered to pay the entire amount within 30 days of the court order. I guess he paid it.

The legal dispute began when Kimora Lee Simmons filed a lawsuit against Russell Simmons in July 2022. This came in response to a lawsuit filed by Russell Simmons in 2021, when he accused her and her now-estranged husband, Timothy Leissner (an investment banker) of an unauthorized stock transfer.

The saga continues.