Russell Simmons Supports Daughter Aoki Lee Simmons Amid Romance with Vittorio Assaf
Russell Simmons is openly supporting his daughter Aoki Lee Simmons amidst her relationship with renowned restaurateur Vittorio Assaf. Speaking to TMZ on April 8, the 66-year-old mogul expressed his stance, saying, “I’m not gonna kick and scream about her choices,” adding, “All I can do is offer my advice and unconditional love.”
Russell disclosed that he had a conversation with 21-year-old Aoki a day before the news of her relationship with 65-year-old Assaf broke, acknowledging she warned him that their romance might spark online buzz.
Photos captured by Page Six on April 2 showed Aoki and Assaf displaying affection in the Caribbean. Assaf was photographed taking pictures of Aoki, who later shared images from their beach outing on Instagram without including Assaf in the posts.
Their relationship was confirmed to People on April 5, with a source noting the couple is “enjoying each other’s company.”
Aoki, the youngest daughter of Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons, alongside Assaf, received public scrutiny over their significant age difference. Amid the discussions, Russell shared a message on Instagram on April 6, stating, “Throw back from last fathers day nyc …bode bikram yoga express class .. vegan lunch cryotherapy vitamin drip … all around amazing day ❤️ @aokileesimmons love you always.”
Kimora, 48, exhibited a more cryptic response through a now-deleted video, likening her frustration to a protective mother panda, commenting, “On my last nerve right now!”
The family dynamics came under the spotlight in June 2023 when Ming, 24, celebrated Kimora on Father’s Day without mentioning Russell. Russell hinted at tensions in a post that seemed to suggest Kimora influenced his strained relationship with his daughters. Aoki addressed these speculations by sharing now-deleted text messages and video chats with her father.
Kimora defended her daughters against Russell’s insinuations, subtly alluding to his past sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Russell took to Instagram to issue an apology to Ming and Aoki, writing, “God is testing you a little bit, it’s OK, be strong,” and “DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling … but know this … there are no conditions … for sure I love you guys more than I love myself.”
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