Kimora Lee Simmons is a mother of five children with three men; let’s meet her family – her sons, daughters, and all their fathers.
Kimora Lee Simmons is an American model, businesswoman, fashion designer, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, TV personality, philanthropist, and author.
Kimora Lee Simmons first became known for being married to Hip Hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons. They began dating in the early 1990s when she was a sophomore in high school and he was 35 years old. They married in 1998, separated in 2006, and divorced in 2009.
Simmons started her career as a fashion model, working for top fashion houses like Chanel and under designers like Karl Lagerfeld. At the young age of 14, she was handpicked by Lagerfeld to model for Chanel, which catapulted her into the international limelight.
Her most significant business accomplishment is her contribution to the fashion line Baby Phat, which she took over as Creative Director and later CEO after it was spun off from Phat Farm, her then-husband Russell Simmons’ clothing line. Baby Phat became one of the top urban luxury brands, known for its trendy and glamorous designs. Under her leadership, the brand expanded into multiple product lines including denim, accessories, footwear, and perfume.
Additionally, Simmons launched a self-titled fashion line, “Kimora Lee Simmons,” focusing on high-end designer wear. She also had a reality television show, “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,” which showcased her personal and professional life. Talking about her personal life, she is a proud mother of five including an adopted child. So, how are Kimoral Lee’s children?
Source: Getty Images
American model Kimora Lee Simmons has children her current and two ex-partners.
Kimora Lee Simmons has welcomed five children over the years with three men.
The fashion designer became a mother while married to Russell Simmons from 1998 to 2009, giving birth to daughters Ming and Aoki before their breakup.
Kimora also shares sons Kenzo and Wolfe with exes Djimon Hounsou and Tim Leissner, respectively. She adopted her son Gary with the latter in 2020.
In March 2023, Kimora opened up about how “hard” it feels to be a single parent to five children.
“That’s the work that I do every day to keep that smile on their face,” she gushed to People at the time. “That smile means so much.”
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Kimora’s family.
Source: Getty Images
Ming Lee Simmons
Kimora’s eldest child, daughter Ming, arrived in January 2000.
She has followed in her mom’s modeling footsteps over the years, making her runway debut at a Baby Phat show as a child.
In May 2023, Ming graduated from New York University, telling Hypebae at the time how “crazy” it felt to “finally be done with school” with the ability to “focus a little bit more.”
Aoki Lee Simmons
In August 2002, Ming became a big sister when Aoki was born.
The former reality star made headlines in 2019 for her acceptance into Harvard University at age 16, and she graduated four years later.
The college graduate has also modeled like her family members — a career choice that she defended in 2022.
“Why am I going into a field that doesn’t necessarily require a degree, or require a whole lot of book smarts, when I have a lot of education?” she asked her TikTok followers. “One, because I love it. … Two, you can be two kinds of people in one person.”
Aoki has a contentious relationship with her dad, slamming Russell via Instagram in June 2023 and claiming the record executive was “awful to [her] for years” so she “stopped talking” to him.
She alleged, “It got to the point … I could not hear your voice without having an anxiety attack.”
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Kenzo Lee Hounsou
Kimora moved on with Hounsou, and their son, Kenzo, arrived in May 2009.
By June 2023, Kenzo was “a WHOPPING 6’4″ … and still growing,” the businesswoman revealed via Instagram.
“I am so proud of you my young prince!” she gushed on the teen’s 14th birthday. “You are caring, humble, kind, smart, and have the BIGGEST HEART! Mama loves you! My lil partner in life! You’re the best son, brother and friend.”
Wolfe Lee Leissner
Kimora secretly married Leissner in February 2014, and their son, Wolfe, was born in April of the following year.
“My fourth delivery was definitely the most challenging — all natural and with no drugs,” she told People at the time, calling the infant a “big boy” and “handsome just like his father.”
News broke in 2022 that the “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane” star, who often documents Wolfe’s life via Instagram, was estranged from Leissner.
Gary Lee
Before her and Leissner’s breakup, Kimora adopted son Gary at age 10.
“He joins the family as Kimora’s two daughters have gone off to college,” her rep told Us Weekly in January 2020. “Kimora now has all boys at home. Gary joins sons Kenzo Lee Hounsou and Wolfe Lee Leissner.”
Gary “just dropped in[to the family] like he was born there,” Kimora gushed four months later, calling the transition a “very painless sensation.”
Below are images of all the fathers of Kimora Lee’s children;
SOURCE: WIREIMAGES
SOURCE: WIREIMAGES
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FAQ
Did Kimora adopt a son?
Kimora has four biological children and one adopted child. In all, she has five kids. She adopted Gary when he was 10 years old.
What do Kimoral Lee Simmons’ kids do for a living?
Her oldest children, daughters Ming and Aoki, are following in her fashionable footsteps as they have both decided to pursue careers in modeling. Meanwhile, her boys tend to keep low public profiles.
How many biological children does Kimora Lee Simmons have?
Kimora “Perkins” Lee Simmons has four biological children at the moment – two sons and 2 daughters with three men.
Who are the fathers of Kimora Lee Simmons’s children?
Lee shares her two older children, daughters Aoki and Ming Lee, with ex Russell Simmons, son Kenzo with ex Djimon Hounsou, and son Wolfe with Tim Leissner.
Is Kimora Lee Simmons still married?
Yes, the model’s current spouse is Tim Leissner, a German-born investment banker and a former managing director at Goldman Sachs and chairman of the bank’s Southeast Asia division. They married in 2014 and have a child together.
What happened between Russel Simmons and Kimora Lee?
Kimora Lee Simmons and her daughter Aoki Lee spent the holiday weekend speaking up about Russell Simmons and his allegedly problematic behavior. They accused him of being awful.
Why did Russel Simmons and Kimora Lee divorce?
Announcing their split, Simmons said he and Kimora had already been separated for some time but that they would “continue to remain committed parents and caring friends with great love and admiration for each other.” Lee officially filed for divorce in March 2008, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Is Kimora Lee Simmons African American?
Kimora is half African-American, one-quarter Korean, and one-quarter Japanese. Father Vernon Whitlock Jr is African-American and mother Joanne Kyoko Perkins is half Korean, half Japanese.