Kimora Lee Simmons is opening up about her daughter Aoki Lee Simmons’ controversial relationship with a person who was 44 years older, admitting the scenario took her fully without warning.
The mannequin and entrepreneur revealed in a candid podcast interview that she discovered concerning the romance similtaneously the remainder of the world and described the whirlwind second as “so much.”
Talking actually, Kimora didn’t maintain again as she referred to as the connection “predatorial” and mirrored on what it taught her as a mom and a lady who has lived by way of fame herself.
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Kimora Lee Simmons Says She Discovered Out When The World Did

Throughout her look on the “Not Skinny However Not Fats” podcast, Kimora Lee Simmons admitted that she had no concept her daughter Aoki was seeing restaurateur Vittorio Assaf till the connection went public.
“I let my children make their very own errors,” she started, per PEOPLE. “I don’t even suppose that was a second for them, although. Or I ought to say the other. I feel it was simply that — a second.”
The enterprise mogul stated she knew Assaf personally, however by no means in that capability along with her daughter.
“I do know this man rising up myself. He’s a restaurateur,” she defined, including that his repute most likely preceded him.
Kimora famous that she discovered the reality when pictures of the couple in St. Barths surfaced on-line.
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“I came upon when the world came upon,” she admitted, emphasizing how sudden and overwhelming the scenario grew to become for her household.
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Kimora Recollects The Shock Of Aoki’s Sudden Romance

Kimora Lee Simmons confessed that her preliminary response was certainly one of disbelief.
“It went from 0 to 100 actually fast,” she recalled, snapping her fingers. “And it blew as much as be a lot, so then you’ll be able to’t be the mother that’s like, ‘What the hell are you doing?’”
The Child Phat founder stated she needed to query Aoki’s choices however selected restraint due to how public issues had turn out to be.
Kimora described the entire expertise as “so much,” sharing that she needed to step again and let her daughter be taught her personal classes.
“She was going by way of it,” she stated, acknowledging the emotional pressure Aoki confronted.
Regardless of her shock, Kimora mirrored on her personal previous, admitting she had been by way of comparable age-gap relationships that helped her perceive the scenario.
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Kimora Lee Simmons Calls The Relationship ‘Predatorial And Kinda Loopy’

Because the dialog deepened, Kimora made her emotions clear about massive age-gap relationships like Aoki’s with the 65-year-old Assaf.
“I do suppose it’s predatorial,” she stated bluntly. “We stated all of that to get to what Kimora thinks about it. I feel that’s predatorial and kinda loopy.”
Kimora’s reflections echoed her perception that fame and social media could make navigating relationships even more durable.
She shared that dwelling one’s life in public can carry pressures that most individuals wouldn’t perceive, particularly when private issues go viral in a single day.
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Aoki Lee Simmons And Vittorio Assaf’s Whirlwind Romance Ends Rapidly

Sources confirmed the pair began courting in April 2024 after assembly throughout a trip in St. Barts.
Sadly, only some days later, an insider confirmed the pair had parted methods.
“It’s 100% performed. They’re completely not courting,” a supply near Aoki confirmed to Web page Six.
Earlier than the cut up, Aoki was very open about her relationship with Assaf. She had referred to him as her “boyfriend” a number of instances throughout their romantic St. Barts trip, sharing moments from his dwelling on-line.
“I’m the happiest particular person to ever joyful proper now,” she stated in a single clip. She even joked about his peak, gushing, “Have a look at how big his sneakers are. That makes me actually joyful. He’s [6-foot-4].”
Regardless of her cheerful posts, a supply later revealed Aoki denied being in a critical relationship, insisting, “In fact, I’m not with him. I used to be by no means with him.”
The pair’s connection shortly fizzled out after their viral seashore pictures.
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Insiders Reveal Extra About Assaf’s Fame

Following the scandal, insiders painted a clearer image of the Serafina Restaurant Group boss’s repute.
One described him as an “older man with little boy allure,” saying, “He’s all the time cherished youthful, lovely girls. He’s gotten older, however his style hasn’t modified.”
The insider even speculated that he wouldn’t be shocked if Assaf instantly determined to hang around with one other younger woman.
One other supply, who claimed to have been romantically concerned with him a long time earlier, stated that one purpose girls have been drawn to Assaf was his bodily endowment. “It’s the most important… in New York,” the insider claimed.
Others speculated that it was Assaf’s cash that drew Kimora Lee Simmons’s daughter, however one supply referred to as the speculations absurd, noting that Aoki wasn’t materialistic.
They famous that the 23-year-old didn’t care about diamonds and flashy issues, additional describing her as a “geek.”
