Russell Simmons has helped launch the careers of some of the biggest musicians on the planet through Def Jam Recordings – but his successes have been overshadowed by a slew of controversies, horrific allegations of abuse and sexual assault, and his bitter divorce from Kimora Lee Simons.
His romantic past has now been dredged up again when the music mogul spoke out to vehemently deny allegations of sexual assault made by multiple women back in 2017.
While he furiously shut down the claims, Russell confessed to having had a very varied love life, saying in a new interview that he’d ‘slept with thousands of women’.
The mogul, now 66, became a major figure in the music industry after he co-founded the record label in 1984, but as he rose to the top, he quickly became known for being an ardent womanizer.
How old was Kimora when she dated Russell?
Russell’s bad boy reputation didn’t deter Kimora when she met him as a 17-year-old starry-eyed rising model – and despite her friends warning her that Russell, who was 35 at the time, was someone she should steer clear of, she fell quickly for the music executive.
The romance was scandalous from the start – she was still a high school student and he was 18 years her senior – and the immense age gap, as well as Russell’s flirtatious behavior, did not make for a great foundation for the love affair.
The early years of the relationship were plagued by Russell’s continued infidelities and his inability to ‘settle down’ – but when Kimora threatened to leave him once and for all after she walked in on him ‘making out’ with another woman during a New Year’s Eve party, the Def Jam founder vowed to change.
She told Russell that he would have to prove his loyalty once and for all by marrying her or that she was done – and he shocked her (and the rest of the world) by choosing the first option.
How many children does Kimora share with Russell?
The two walked down the aisle in 1998, and together, they quickly welcomed two daughters together – and many wondered if becoming a husband and father would finally tame the famous seducer.
But unfortunately, it didn’t. In an explosive 2005 interview, Kimora revealed that Russell hadn’t stopped ‘getting up to trouble’ – and admitted that the ‘other b***hes’ were putting a strain on their relationship.
He even proudly told the publication at the time, ‘I’m still looking at the girls’ a**es. I ain’t worried about that, I don’t give a f**k.’
What happened between Kimora and Russell?
Their marriage ended months later, and while it seemed amicable at first, the exes became embroiled in a nasty court battle years later after he accused Kimora and her new husband of fraudulently stealing his shares of an energy drink he had invested in.
Kimora responded by branding his lawsuit as an ‘extortion attempt’ and accused him of ‘years of mental and emotional anguish, gaslighting, and ongoing harassment.’
She also described Russell’s decision to sue her as a ‘desperate PR ploy’ amid his deteriorating reputation.
