Quick Read
- Kimora Lee Simmons learned about daughter Aoki Lee’s romance with 65-year-old Vittorio Assaf at the same time as the public.
- Kimora described the 44-year age gap as ‘predatorial’ but refrained from overreacting to her daughter.
- She believes the relationship was brief and insists on allowing her children to make their own mistakes, even under public scrutiny.
- The romance ended quickly, with no indication it continued beyond 2024.
Kimora Lee Simmons Faces Family Drama in the Public Eye
When you’re Kimora Lee Simmons, few things in life are private. But in 2024, the spotlight burned brighter than ever on the fashion mogul—not for her business moves, but for her daughter’s love life. Kimora’s daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, then 23, made headlines for a brief, eyebrow-raising romance with Vittorio Assaf, a 65-year-old restaurateur, sparking a public conversation about age gaps, parental reactions, and what it means to grow up under a microscope.
A Mother’s Shock: “It Went from 0 to 100 Really Quick”
Kimora Lee Simmons, the founder of Baby Phat and a familiar face in the worlds of fashion and reality television, wasn’t prepared for the sudden media frenzy. As she recounted on Amanda Hirsch’s Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast in December 2025, Kimora learned about her daughter’s new relationship at the same time as the rest of the world—through viral paparazzi photos of Aoki and Assaf displaying affection in St. Barths. “It went from 0 to 100 really quick, and I was like, ‘Aoki, I didn’t even know this was a thing,’” she recalled, emphasizing just how blindsided she felt.
For Kimora, the surprise was twofold: not only was the romance unexpected, but the 44-year age gap echoed her own experiences with significant age differences in past relationships. “Having gone through not exactly the same but similar—that big age-gap relationship, let’s just call it that,” she admitted, “I do think it’s predatorial.” Her words carried the weight of someone who has navigated the complexities of love, fame, and scrutiny herself.
Balancing Concern and Compassion: Parenting in the Age of Public Scrutiny
Despite her strong feelings, Kimora was mindful of how she addressed the situation with Aoki. “I didn’t say it in that way because it was this fast,” she explained, snapping her fingers to capture how quickly the story escalated. The media coverage, she noted, made it impossible to simply be the protective mom without adding fuel to the fire. “You can’t be the mom that’s like, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ But that definitely was the thing.”
Kimora’s approach was shaped by her own experience in the spotlight and a deep understanding of how public mistakes can become lifelong labels. She recognizes that, for her children, growing up isn’t just about personal milestones—it’s about navigating a world where every misstep is amplified. “That’s the whole thing we were saying about living out your life in public,” she reflected. “I think that’s very, very, very tough.”
“Just a Moment”: A Romance That Ended as Quickly as It Began
As the headlines faded, so too did Aoki and Vittorio’s relationship. Kimora believes the romance was brief and perhaps blown out of proportion by public attention. “I don’t even think that was a moment for them—or I should say the opposite,” she said. “I think it was just that: a moment. I don’t think it was anything else.”
While the world dissected the details, inside the Simmons household, the episode became another lesson in growing up. Kimora stressed the importance of letting her children—Aoki, Ming Lee (25), Kenzo Lee (16), Gary Lee (15), and Wolfe Lee (10, adopted in 2020)—make their own mistakes. “That’s the whole thing about parenting,” she said. “You have to let them figure things out, even if it’s under a microscope.”
Family Ties and the Challenge of Public Life
Kimora’s family is no stranger to attention. With children from different relationships—her ex-husband Russell Simmons is the father of Aoki and Ming Lee, while her sons’ fathers include Djimon Hounsou and Tim Leissner—Kimora has long balanced the challenges of blended family life with the pressures of fame. Yet, despite the unique hurdles, she remains committed to her children’s independence. “They have to make their own mistakes,” she repeated, underscoring a parenting philosophy built on trust and resilience.
The world may have strong opinions about age-gap relationships, but for Kimora, the greater lesson is about empathy, boundaries, and the reality that life lived in public is never as simple as it seems from the outside.
As of now, there’s no indication that Aoki Lee Simmons and Vittorio Assaf’s brief romance continued beyond 2024. E! News reached out to Assaf’s representatives but received no comment, leaving the story to rest as another fleeting headline in a family accustomed to the glare of the spotlight.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ reaction to her daughter’s controversial romance highlights the delicate balancing act of parenting in the public eye. Her willingness to let her children learn from their own choices, even under intense scrutiny, reveals both the challenges and the resilience required to nurture a family in today’s celebrity culture.