Russell Simmons is putting a personal spin on one of social media’s biggest AI trends, using the viral “Hotel Lobby” challenge to send a surprisingly warm message to his ex-wife, Kimora Lee.
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In a post shared through his Instagram account, Simmons uploaded an AI clip depicting himself and Lee inside the now instantly recognizable setup from Quavo and Takeoff’s “Hotel Lobby” performance. Instead of simply joining the joke, Russell Simmons used his caption to reflect on their decades of history while congratulating Lee on her latest project.“We worked good as a team./ for 15 years of dating and marriage and Another 20 years as very close friends after..also as i hope you know .//I’m still available for my 3 godchildren and When my story is told i will only remember you fondly Praying for your continued success Congratulations on your new documentry And i hope ur next chapter is a homerun.”
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The message arrives at an interesting moment for the former couple. Lee recently opened up about her relationship with Russell Simmons in the Lifetime documentary “Kimora Lee: On Her Own,” which premiered September 20. The documentary explores Lee’s personal and professional journey, including her years in fashion, motherhood, relationships, and her effort to tell her story from her own perspective.
Their relationship has already become part of the conversation surrounding the film. Lee recalled being 16 when Simmons first pursued her while she was modeling, and she discussed how longtime friend Tyra Banks tried to discourage the relationship at the time. Simmons has challenged Lee’s account of her age, having said she was 17 years and nine months old when they met.
The pair eventually married in 1998 and became one of entertainment and fashion’s most recognizable couples. When they announced their separation in 2006, Simmons said they planned to remain committed parents and friends while continuing to work together professionally, according to an Associated Press report published by CBS News. They share daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee.
Their relationship has become more publicly strained in recent years. A 2021 lawsuit filed by Simmons accused Lee and her then-husband, Tim Leissner, of improperly transferring investment shares. The outlet also documented a 2023 family dispute in which Lee and the former couple’s daughters made allegations about Simmons’ behavior. Simmons later posted messages expressing love for his daughters.
That history gives Simmons’ latest post more weight than the average celebrity AI clip. His message emphasizes the years when he says the two functioned well as a team and makes clear that, at least publicly, he wants to remember Lee positively.
The viral format itself comes from Quavo and the late Takeoff’s 2022 performance of “Hotel Lobby” for A COLORS SHOW. AI creators have recently transformed the orange backdrop and shared microphone into a template featuring different celebrities and fictional pairings. Quavo responded to the renewed attention by sharing the original performance on September 23.
For Russell Simmons, however, the trend became something more personal. At a time when Lee is publicly revisiting her past in her own words, his post offers his own brief version of their history, one that focuses on partnership, friendship, and his stated hope that her next chapter succeeds.
