Kimora Lee Simmons was thrust into the fab fast lane when she found out about her daughter's love life.
The Baby Phat founder detailed her reaction to learning that her and ex-husband Russell Simmons' 23-year-old daughter Aoki Lee Simmons sparked a brief romance in 2024 with restauranteur Vittorio Assaf, who is 44 years her senior.
For Kimora, she was particularly overwhelmed to discover the news when photos of Aoki and Vittorio, 65, packing on PDA in St. Barths began circulating online.
"It went from 0 to 100 really quick, and I was like, ‘Aoki, I didn’t even know this was a thing,'" she recalled during a Dec. 8 appearance on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. "I found out when the world found out. So that was what was so shocking."
Kimora went on to admit that she wasn't the biggest fan of the pairing—especially since she's had similar dating experiences of her own.
"Having gone through not exactly the same but similar—that big age-gap relationship, let’s just call it that," she continued, "I do think it’s predatorial."
Still, the Kimora: Back the Fab Lane star was careful not to overreact when she confronted her daughter.
"I didn’t say it in that way because it was this fast,” she explained, 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?’ But that definitely was the thing."
Luckily, Kimora—who is also mom to daughter Ming Lee Simmons, 25, with Russell, as well as sons Kenzo Lee Hounsou, 16, with ex Djimon Hounsou, Gary Lee Leissner, 15, with ex Tim Leissner, and Wolfe Lee, 10, who she welcomed through adoption in 2020—feels like the romance was over as quickly as it started.
"I don’t even think that was a moment for them—or I should say the opposite," she shared. "I think it was just that: a moment. I don’t think it was anything else."
And ultimately, Kimora believes it's important to let her kids "make their own mistakes," even if those mishaps happen under a microscope for her family.
"That’s the whole thing we were saying about living out your life in public," she said. "I think that’s very, very, very tough."
E! News reached out to a rep for Vittorio for comment but has not heard back.
For more on Kimora and her famous family, keep reading.
Kimora Lee Simmons
In Kimora's house, she's the mom, the dad, the president and the CFO.
"It's like The Brady Bunch," the mogul joked of her blended family of seven in the Back in the Fab Lane trailer, "but with no husband."
Ming Lee
Ming—the eldest of five siblings—was born on Jan. 21, 2000 to parents Kimora and hip hop music legend Russell Simmons.
Ming attended NYU and is currently following in her mom's footsteps by pursuing a career in modeling.
Aoki Lee
Kimora and Russell welcomed daughter Aoki on Aug. 16, 2002.
In addition to modeling, Aoki has proved herself to be quite the intellectual. She was accepted to Harvard at just 16 and graduated from the prestigious university in 2023.
Kenzo
Kimora and ex Djimon Hounsou are parents to Kenzo, born May 30, 2009.
Now a teenager and towering over his parents at nearly 6-feet, 8-inches tall, Kenzo is a star player on his high school basketball team.
Gary
With so much love to give, Kimora introduced son Gary to the family by adoption in 2020 when he was 10 years old.
Now in high school, Gary has found a passion for football.
Wolfe
Wolfe, nicknamed "Wolfie," was born April 10, 2015 to Kimora and ex Tim Leissner.
Jayden
While not Kimora's biological son, Kimora acts as mama to "bonus son" Jayden.