Kimora Lee Simmons has broken her public silence on the mounting sexual misconduct allegations against her former husband, Russell Simmons, offering a ringing defense of his character.
Kimora Lee Simmons took to Instagram to say that she’s known Russell Simmons for over 25 years and “These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time.”
At least six women have leveled rape allegations against the music mogul. Russell Simmons, a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, has denied all the allegations. He has resigned from his businesses, and HBO recently scrubbed his name from a stand-up comedy series he helped produce.
Simmons, whose company Def Jam made stars of hip-hop artists such as LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, is one of the few music industry icons caught up in the recent wave of allegations that so far has struck mostly those in the movie industry, journalism and politics.
Kimora Lee Simmons said she wanted to add to “the chorus of those speaking out against harassment and violence in all its forms.” She encouraged anyone faced with harassment to report it and said she was committed to “fighting injustice.”
He and TV personality and designer Kimora Lee Simmons were married from 1998-2009 and they have two daughters.
In her statement late Thursday, Kimora Lee Simmons says her ex-husband is a “caring and supportive father and someone who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities.”
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