Russell Simmons retaliates after Kimora claims she has no relationship with the fathers of her children and that she stole from him
Russell addresses the remarks made by Kimora Lee Simmons on PEOPLE and resurrects a long-running conflict with Celsius stock that is connected to her former spouse.
That PEOPLE headline did not escape Russell Simmons. Russell’s reaction on Kimora Lee Simmons’ statement that she had no relationship with the fathers of her children went directly beyond co-parenting and touched on issues of money, control, and past traumas. He described himself as her “best or only friend,” said he gave her $50,000 a month for almost 20 years, and accused her of stealing from him. Since then, he has been fighting for his bread and the love of his children.
That charge is not brand-new. It alludes to a long-running legal dispute between the two of them that is centered on shares of the energy drink firm Celsius Holdings. Russell sued Kimora and her ex-husband Tim Leissner in 2021, claiming they plotted to move millions of Celsius shares without his approval. Russell claimed in the complaint that the shares were transferred without his knowledge and that they belonged to him through his investment firm.
The lawsuit outlined a particular accusation. Russell asserted that the shares were utilized or positioned to assist in paying bond and legal expenses, and that the stock transfer was connected to Tim Leissner’s legal issues. Former Goldman Sachs banker Leissner entered a guilty plea in the federal 1MDB affair, which is among the biggest cases of financial wrongdoing in contemporary history. Russell continues to discuss the stock against the backdrop of that criminal prosecution.
The claims were refuted by Kimora. Russell’s action, according to her legal team, was harassment and an attempt to seize assets that he did not legally hold. The civil case was only the beginning of the conflict. Due to Leissner’s criminal case, it entered a different federal lane.
More than three million shares of Celsius stock kept in a brokerage account in Kimora’s name were sought to be forfeited by federal prosecutors, who claimed the shares were related to Leissner’s financial offenses. Kimora and Russell both submitted conflicting petitions asserting an interest in that stock, escalating the dispute into a multi-layered court battle involving the federal government, company, and family.
Regarding who has the legal right to claim the shares and whether Russell’s ownership claims are valid, courts have rendered numerous decisions over time. The dispute has remained unresolved in the public eye despite shifting headlines as the processes have proceeded over the past few years, with motions dismissed and revised petitions filed.
Russell’s remark was more impactful than a standard clapback because of that context. He refers to a protracted dispute involving money, custody disputes, and long-standing animosity when he claims Kimora “stole from me.” In her PEOPLE interview, Kimora discussed limits and motherhood. Russell’s answer made it apparent that he feels left out of the story and that he thinks the public narrative ignores him.
A brief reminder that some celebrity divorces never truly end swiftly followed what had begun as an interview about a clean lifestyle. They simply stop talking until a single headline makes everything come back to the surface.
