Kimora Lee Simmons has described her daughter Aoki Lee Simmons’ brief relationship with the much older Vittorio Assaf as “predatorial.”
Speaking openly about the 2024 fling which happened when Aoki was 21 and Assaf was 65 Kimora said it has been “tough” watching her daughter make mistakes in the public eye.
During her appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast airing Tuesday, Dec. 9, Kimora clarified that Aoki and Assaf were never in a serious relationship, calling it merely “a moment.” She also revealed she had known Assaf founder of Serafina Restaurant Group long before he became involved with her daughter, who is now 23.
“I know this guy from growing up myself. He’s a restaurateur,” she said. “I don’t want to get into legal trouble, but I think his reputation precedes him.”
Kimora said she learned about the relationship “when the world found out” and admitted she was stunned.
“I’ve learned you can’t say, ‘I told you so,’ right then,” she explained. “You can’t say, ‘What are you doing?’ You just can’t.”
Reflecting now, she didn’t mince words: “I feel like having gone through not exactly the same but similar… that big age gap relationship it’s predatorial. I think that’s predatorial and kinda crazy.”
Kimora herself met her first husband, Russell Simmons, when she was 17 and he was 35. They later married and share Aoki and their older daughter, Ming, 25.
Kimora has previously said she was “embarrassed” when photos surfaced showing Aoki and Assaf engaging in PDA, even comparing him to a toad.
“She’s a young, pretty girl, and we don’t expect the toads we kiss to end up broadcast everywhere,” Kimora said. “I personally feel she was a bit set up which is why I tell my girls to be careful. There’s definitely an age dynamic at play.”
