Kimora Lee Simmons described her daughter Aoki Lee Simmons’ short relationship with the significantly older Vittorio Assaf as “predatory.”
Reflecting on her daughter’s romantic life during a podcast in 2024, Kimora revealed Aoki was 21 at the time while Assaf was 65. She expressed how challenging it was to witness her daughter make public “mistakes.”
In the podcast episode of “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” she clarified that their connection was not serious, just a fleeting “moment.” She indicated that she was previously acquainted with Assaf, who is the founder of the Serafina Restaurant Group, before Aoki became involved with him, noting that Aoki is now 23.
“I’ve known this guy since I was little. He’s a restaurateur,” she stated. She hesitated, saying, “I don’t want to get into legal trouble, but I think his reputation probably comes first.”
Kimora admitted she was taken aback by the news, sharing that she discovered the relationship at the same time as everyone else. “I found out when the world found out,” she remarked. “There were so many revelations. I can’t really say, ‘What were you thinking?’ now.”
As she looked back on it, Kimora reiterated how she felt the romance was “predatory.”
“It’s not exactly the same, but I feel like we went through something similar…that big age difference relationship… It feels predatory and a little crazy,” she expressed, referring to her own past relationship with her first husband, Russell Simmons, which began when she was 17 and he was 35.
The couple was married from 1998 to 2009 and have a daughter, Min, who is now 25.
A source commenting on Assaf last year described him as “an older man with a boyish charm,” indicating that his tastes have remained in favor of younger women despite aging.
Russell, for his part, didn’t appear concerned about Aoki’s relationship, previously stating, “All I can do is give her advice and show her unconditional love.”
Kimora later revealed her embarrassment at seeing Aoki and Assaf’s public displays of affection, likening one of those instances to a toad. “She’s a young, beautiful girl. I don’t think we’ll ever see Toad Kissing aired,” she said. “I feel a little bit like she was set up. I’m trying to teach the girls about the age dynamic involved.”
