Russell Simmons did not let that PEOPLE headline slide. After Kimora Lee Simmons said she does not have a relationship with her kids’ fathers, Russell jumped into the comments with a response that went straight past co parenting and into money, control, and old wounds. He claimed he paid her $50,000 a month for nearly 20 years, called himself her “best or only friend,” and accused her of stealing from him, saying he has been fighting for his kids’ love and his bread ever since.
That accusation is not new. It points back to a legal battle that has followed both of them for years and centers on shares of Celsius Holdings, the energy drink company. In 2021, Russell filed a lawsuit against Kimora and her then husband Tim Leissner, alleging they conspired to transfer millions of Celsius shares without his consent. According to the complaint, Russell said the shares belonged to him through his investment entity and were moved while he was unaware of the transaction.
The lawsuit laid out a specific allegation. Russell claimed the stock transfer was tied to Tim Leissner’s legal trouble and that the shares were used or positioned to help cover bond and legal costs. Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs banker, pleaded guilty in the federal 1MDB scandal, one of the largest financial corruption cases in modern history. That criminal case is the backdrop Russell continues to reference when he talks about the stock.
Kimora denied the accusations. Her legal team characterized Russell’s lawsuit as an attempt to claim assets he did not legally own and described the case as harassment. The dispute did not stop with the civil lawsuit. It moved into a separate federal lane tied directly to Leissner’s criminal case.
Federal prosecutors sought forfeiture of more than three million shares of Celsius stock held in a brokerage account in Kimora’s name, treating the shares as connected to Leissner’s financial crimes. Both Kimora and Russell filed competing petitions claiming an interest in that stock, turning the fight into a layered legal standoff involving family, business, and the federal government.
Over time, courts have issued multiple rulings addressing who has standing to claim the shares and whether Russell’s ownership claims hold legal weight. The proceedings have continued through recent years, with motions denied and amended petitions filed, keeping the dispute unresolved in the public eye even as headlines shift.
That context is why Russell’s comment hit harder than a typical clapback. When he says Kimora “stole from me,” he is pointing to a years long conflict that mixes money, custody tension, and resentment built over time. Kimora’s PEOPLE interview focused on motherhood and boundaries. Russell’s response made it clear he feels erased from the narrative and believes the public story leaves out his side.
What started as a clean lifestyle interview quickly turned into a reminder that some celebrity divorces never really end. They just go quiet until one headline brings everything back to the surface.
