Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons has been taking a few hard hits lately. The music icon has been embroiled in scandal after he was hit not only with allegations of sexual assault by multiple women, but a documentary about their accusations has been made public. He’s stepped forward to vehemently deny that he’s ever engaged in any acts of sexual misconduct, but the controversy has caused people to bring up his relationship with ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons.

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There has been gossip that Russell Simmons began courting Kimora when she was an underaged model. They were married, had children together, and later divorced, but they’ve maintained a close friendship throughout the years. Recently, Russell gave Kimora a birthday shoutout, and in the comments, Russell addressed rumors that he dated his ex-wife when she wasn’t of-age.

“I never do this but… That’s not true…,” he reportedly penned in a since-deleted comment. “She turned 18 right after i met her February fashion week Tyra banks (our bridesmaid) Cindy Crawford Naomi were all back stage at the Mary McFadden show they said i was a modelizer and that i wasn’t gonna stick around… i think that may have inspired her (the challenge).”

“We got to know each other by May we were dating,” Russell added. “She was legal at 17 But she turned 18 that may her mother and her manager Bethann Hardison approved supported and Rushed us (we really didn’t need a push) and the love affair began People like to talk every so often i loose my cool and talk back so take this advice Be happy and share happiness… try to think uplifting thoughts and keep learning to practice love… that’s our goal… oh and celebrate the queen @kimoraleesimmons.” Check out his birthday post to Kimora Lee Simmons below.

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Kimora Lee Simmons and her husband, Tim Leissner, have quietly been adding to their already grandiose empire with the addition of an entirely new member to their family. Kimora Lee and Tim Leissner, who have been married for seven years, have adopted a ten-year-old by the name of Gary according to a report by US Weekly. 

In a statement made by Simmons’ rep, Leissner and Simmons welcome their new addition to the family stating:

“He joins the family as Kimora’s two daughters have gone off to college. Ming Lee Simmons is a sophomore at NYU, and the next youngest (Aoki Lee Simmons) is a freshman at Harvard. Both have started their college careers and join Kimora as the faces and creative vision behind their newly relaunched family business, Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons. Kimora now has all boys at home. Gary joins sons Kenzo Lee Hounsou and Wolfe Lee Leissner.”

Kimora Lee and ex-Goldman Sachs partner, Tim Leissner, married in 2013 and had their first and only son, Wolfe Lee Leissner, in 2015. Kimora Lee is famously known for her prior relationship to former Def Jam Records-founder, Russell Simmons, to which the former couple share two children in Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons. After Lee and Simmons split in 2007, Lee married Djimon Hounsou and welcomed their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, in 2009 who is also ten-years-old as well. 

This past month Kimora Lee relaunched her notorious Baby Phat clothing company with a surprise capsule collection in collaboration with Forever 21. In the past, Lee struggled in custody battles for her son, Kenzo with ex-husband, Djimon Hounsou, and is presumably concerned about the allegations brought up against her ex, Russell Simmons. But with a new addition to her family in the form of the ten-year-old adoptee, Gary, Kimora Lee has to be one of the most grateful women in the world at this very moment. 

Check out Kimora Lee and Tim Leissner’s big happy family and what appears to be Gary positioned to the right of this candid video post to her Instagram below. 

After Russell Simmons was accused of raping and sexually assaulting numerous women his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons shared a statement. “I have known Russell for over 25 years. We were close friends, married, divorced, and have remained friends, co-parents and partners throughout it all,” she wrote. “These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time. I have known him to be a caring and supportive father and someone who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities.”

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As Russell continues to maintain his innocence, another one of his exes has publicly defended him. Katie Rost and Russell first met in 2002 when Kimora hired her on to model for Baby Phat. Before Katie took the job she heard Russell “had a reputation” but never encountered inappropriate behavior with him. When Kimora and Russell divorced in 2009, Katie and the Def Jam mogul began a romantic relationship, she told Page Six. Katie was then offered a position at Global Grind, the blog run by Russell. After six months of dating, Katie walked in on Russell with model Julie Henderson leading her to end the relationship. 

“If you’re an overly sexual person or someone who comes on to people … I don’t think that means that you are a predator,” she explained of Russell. “I just wanted to say that I never felt that way about him. I did always feel like he was a womanizer — that he was someone who was going to come on to women, let you know that he wanted you — but there was never any aggressive or even using like a power position type of thing over, at least, me for my situation.”

Katie even recalled a time Russell advocated for her to share her story when she accused her ex-husband James Orsini of abuse. “He was such a strong voice that it sort of took my breath away reading that he might go down in flames,” she said.