Kimora Lee Simmons Speaks Out about Daughter Aoki's Brief Relationship with a Man 44 Years Her Senior

Aoki Lee Simmons was 21. He was 65. Their brief relationship drew attention in 2024. Now, Aoki's mother is sharing her perspective on a recent podcast.

She kept quiet when the headlines hit, but now, more than a year later, Kimora Lee Simmons is finally opening up. And when it comes to her youngest daughter's romance with a man in his sixties, she's not holding back.

On December 9, 2025, the episode of the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast with Amanda Hirsch, Kimora addressed the short-lived relationship between 21-year-old Aoki and 65-year-old restaurateur Vittorio Assaf.

The pair made waves in April 2024 after being spotted together in St. Barths, and the 44-year age gap quickly became a flashpoint online.

Kimora admitted she was completely caught off guard. Though she knew Vittorio through social circles, she had no idea he was romantically involved with her daughter, not until the photos surfaced.

From the start, she had strong feelings about the relationship. Reflecting on the situation and drawing from her own past. Kimora said:

"It was a lot. But I do think in general, of those kinds of things, I feel like and having gone through not exactly the same but similar… that big age gap relationship, let’s just call it that. I do think it’s predatorial. We said all of that to get to what Kimora thinks about it. I think that’s predatorial and kinda crazy."

She went on to describe the relationship as both brief and unexpected, adding, "It went from 0 to 100 really quick." In her words, it was just "a moment," not something lasting or serious.

Even as public reaction escalated, Kimora chose not to speak out. She explained that with everything unfolding so fast, it wasn’t the right time to say "I told you so."

She also alluded to concerns about Vittorio's background. "I know this guy growing up myself. He's a restaurateur. I don’t know, I don't want to get into troubles legally, but I think his reputation probably precedes him," she said.

Aoki is the youngest daughter of Kimora and music mogul Russell Simmons. Her older sister, Ming, is the former couple's firstborn.