Kimora Lee Simmons Breaks Into Honest Confession Over Aoki’s Relationship Bombshell

Kimora Lee Simmons is opening up about her daughter Aoki Lee Simmons’ controversial relationship with a man who was 44 years older, admitting the situation took her completely by surprise.

The model and entrepreneur revealed in a candid podcast interview that she learned about the romance at the same time as the rest of the world and described the whirlwind moment as “a lot.”

Speaking honestly, Kimora didn’t hold back as she called the relationship “predatorial” and reflected on what it taught her as a mother and a woman who has lived through fame herself.

Kimora Lee Simmons Says She Found Out When The World Did

During her appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, Kimora Lee Simmons admitted that she had no idea her daughter Aoki was seeing restaurateur Vittorio Assaf until the relationship went public.

“I let my kids make their own mistakes,” she began, per PEOPLE. “I don’t even think that was a moment for them, though. Or I should say the opposite. I think it was just that — a moment.”

The business mogul said she knew Assaf personally, but never in that capacity with her daughter.

“I know this guy growing up myself. He’s a restaurateur,” she explained, adding that his reputation probably preceded him.

Kimora noted that she learned the truth when photos of the couple in St. Barths surfaced online.

“I found out when the world found out,” she admitted, emphasizing how sudden and overwhelming the situation became for her family.

Kimora Recalls The Shock Of Aoki’s Sudden Romance

Kimora Lee Simmons confessed that her initial reaction was one of disbelief.

“It went from 0 to 100 really quick,” she recalled, snapping her fingers. “And it blew up to be so much, so then you can’t be the mom that’s like, ‘What the hell are you doing?’”

The Baby Phat founder said she wanted to question Aoki’s decisions but chose restraint because of how public things had become.

Kimora described the whole experience as “a lot,” sharing that she had to step back and let her daughter learn her own lessons.

“She was going through it,” she said, acknowledging the emotional strain Aoki faced.

Despite her shock, Kimora reflected on her own past, admitting she had been through similar age-gap relationships that helped her understand the situation.

Kimora Lee Simmons Calls The Relationship ‘Predatorial And Kinda Crazy’

As the conversation deepened, Kimora made her feelings clear about large age-gap relationships like Aoki’s with the 65-year-old Assaf.

“I do think it’s predatorial,” she said bluntly. “We said all of that to get to what Kimora thinks about it. I think that’s predatorial and kinda crazy.”

Kimora’s reflections echoed her belief that fame and social media can make navigating relationships even harder.

She shared that living one’s life in public can bring pressures that most people wouldn’t understand, especially when personal matters go viral overnight.

Aoki Lee Simmons And Vittorio Assaf’s Whirlwind Romance Ends Quickly

Aoki’s relationship with Assaf ended almost as quickly as it began.

Sources confirmed the pair started dating in April 2024 after meeting during a vacation in St. Barts.

Unfortunately, only a few days later, an insider confirmed the pair had parted ways.

“It’s 100% done. They’re absolutely not dating,” a source close to Aoki confirmed to Page Six.

Before the split, Aoki was very open about her relationship with Assaf. She had referred to him as her “boyfriend” multiple times during their romantic St. Barts vacation, sharing moments from his home online.

“I’m the happiest person to ever happy right now,” she said in one clip. She even joked about his height, gushing, “Look at how huge his shoes are. That makes me really happy. He’s [6-foot-4].”

Despite her cheerful posts, a source later revealed Aoki denied being in a serious relationship, insisting, “Of course, I’m not with him. I was never with him.”

The pair’s connection quickly fizzled out after their viral beach photos.

Insiders Reveal More About Assaf’s Reputation

Following the scandal, insiders painted a clearer picture of the Serafina Restaurant Group boss’s reputation.

One described him as an “older man with little boy charm,” saying, “He’s always loved younger, beautiful women. He’s gotten older, but his taste hasn’t changed.”

The insider even speculated that he wouldn’t be surprised if Assaf immediately decided to hang out with another young girl.

Another source, who claimed to have been romantically involved with him decades earlier, said that one reason women were drawn to Assaf was his physical endowment. “It’s the biggest… in New York,” the insider claimed.

Others speculated that it was Assaf’s money that drew Kimora Lee Simmons’s daughter, but one source called the speculations absurd, noting that Aoki wasn’t materialistic.

They noted that the 23-year-old didn’t care about diamonds and flashy things, further describing her as a “geek.”