Russell Simmons is disputing Kimora Lee’s account of how old she was when they met, after her new documentary said she was 16 when he began pursuing her.
In a statement sent to Baller Alert, a spokesperson for Russell Simmons said the two met at a Mary McFadden fashion show in February 1993, with mutual friends including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, and Tyra Banks in attendance. The spokesperson said Kimora has publicly acknowledged that meeting multiple times. Kimora was born May 4, 1975, which would have made her about 17 years and 9 months old at the time.
The statement also points to Kimora’s own past interviews. It cites a 2004 profile in The Observer that reported she was 17 when he spotted her on the runway, and a Vanity Fair interview in which, according to the spokesperson, Kimora said, “We didn’t do anything until I was 18.”
The spokesperson said Simmons’ memory of that first meeting can be backed up by the friends who were there and by published accounts that support the timeline. “I hope this clears up any misunderstanding,” the statement read.
The response comes after Kimora opened up about the start of their relationship in her Lifetime documentary, “Kimora Lee: On Her Own,” which premiered Sunday. In the film and in an interview with PEOPLE, she said she was 16 when she met Simmons and that he was 18 years older than her. Simmons was born in October 1957, which would have made him 35 in February 1993.
Kimora described Simmons sitting in the front row at the end of the runway during her shows, cheering loudly, coming backstage, and sending her enormous flower arrangements. She said her friend Tyra Banks became so concerned that she kept Kimora at her apartment for an entire weekend so she could not go home and return his calls. At the time, Kimora told PEOPLE, she thought Tyra was “a little bit hating.” Looking back now, she said, “She was trying to protect me.”
Kimora and Simmons married in 1998, with Tyra serving as a bridesmaid. They welcomed two daughters, Ming and Aoki, before separating in 2006 and finalizing their divorce in 2009. In the documentary, Kimora alleges the marriage involved verbal, emotional, and financial abuse, and says she did not recognize some of that behavior as abusive until years later. The statement to Baller Alert does not address those allegations.
The spokesperson said the two remained very close friends for 20 years after their divorce, and that Simmons is godfather to Kimora’s children from her later relationships. The statement said he has love and respect for her.
Their relationship has been strained publicly in recent years. Late last year, Simmons appeared to accuse Kimora of keeping him from seeing their daughters. Kimora told PEOPLE ahead of the premiere that a stock dispute between them has since been resolved, and that she considers that chapter of her life finished.
