Kimora Lee Simmons discusses Tyra Banks' intervention in early relationship

In her new Lifetime documentary, ‘Kimora Lee: On Her Own,’ model and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons discusses the early stages of her relationship with Russell Simmons. Lee recalls that when they first met in the mid-1990s, she was 16 years old and Simmons was 18 years her senior. She describes how fellow supermodel Tyra Banks attempted to intervene by keeping Lee at her apartment for an entire weekend to prevent her from checking voicemails and communicating with Simmons.

Lee admitted that she initially perceived Banks’ actions as jealousy or ‘hating,’ but now views them as an attempt to protect her. She also noted that she did not fully recognize the abusive nature of the relationship until much later.

Russell Simmons has disputed Lee’s account regarding her age at the time of their meeting. A spokesperson for Simmons stated that the pair met in February 1993, which would have made Lee approximately 17 years and nine months old, rather than 16. The spokesperson cited previous media profiles and interviews to support this timeline.