Why did Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons divorce?

Kimora Lee Simmons has accused ex-husband Russell Simmons of “bullying” and “threatening” their children Ming Lee Simmons and Aoki Lee Simmons, sharing a number of Instagram stories on Monday.

Kimora, 48, accused Def Jam co-founder of ‘threat’ [their] children’s lives” and claimed it resulted in Aoki having “severe panic attacks” and “getting emergency medication” whenever she spoke to him.

Aoki, 20, shared text messages and a muted Facetime call to her Instagram, detailing his behavior towards her.

Aoki was seen crying and looking visibly upset while on the phone with her father Russell, as he appears to speak angrily to her.

Dailymail.com takes a closer look at why Kimora and Russell divorced, which happened nearly 15 years ago.

The family drama comes weeks after Aoki graduated from Harvard with a double major, with mom Kimora revealing she is one of the youngest in recent memory to do so.

She was hired at the age of 16.

Kimora and Russell married in December 1998 in New York City after a four-year relationship.

They met while Kimora was modeling at Fashion Week in New York City.

They welcomed two children together: Ming in 2000 (now 23) and Aoki in 2002.

In 2006, they announced they were separating, but noted that they had been separated for “a while.”

Russell told People magazine in a statement at the time: “Kimora and I will remain devoted parents and caring friends with great love and admiration for each other.”

Kimora filed for divorce in March 2008. She mentioned irreconcilable differences – two years after their split.

She requested full legal and physical custody of their children, requesting that he be given “reasonable child visits to be accompanied at all times by the children’s nanny and security personnel.”

In January 2009, their divorce was finalized Today show.

In February 2009, it was reported that Russell has agreed to pay $40,000 a month in child support until their youngest reaches age 19.5.

Kimora was given sole custody of their girls.

She is also mother to children Kenzo, 14, with ex Djimon Hounsou and Wolfe, eight, with ex Tim Leissner.

She adopted son Gary in 2020 when he was 10.

Kimora said of Russell on Monday, “I’m so sorry to have to do this. But this man threatens my children’s lives. I hear so much more now. We will not be bullied, threatened or scared. Who gave?!

Adding: “No one should live like this. Nobody’s child. This is abuse. Not in order. The threats, not okay. The fear mongering. Not okay” next to text messages shared by Aoki.

It seemed to have started after the girls wished mom Kimora a happy Father’s Day instead of their dad.

He shared an Instagram post that appeared to be a thinly veiled joke against Kimora; it was a quote that read, “Stop telling dads they should have fought harder to see their kids and start asking moms why he had to fight in the first place.”

Soon after, Aoki released the message and muted Facetime call on her stories, also revealing that she was done trying with her dad.

“My father has not been well for years, he needs help and will not accept that he refuses to acknowledge that he is not himself. He has threatened and bullied my sister, my grandmother, he has been harassing my grandmother in the middle of the night with ill health, [sent] a man to my sister’s apartment to scare her.’

“He lashes out at anyone who doesn’t say, ‘Ooh Russell, everything’s fine,’ well, it’s not fine,” she wrote.