Kimora Lee Simmons is opening up about how she reacted when she learned that her daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, briefly dated restauranteur Vittorio Assaf in 2024.

The relationship drew wide attention because Aoki was 21 at the time, while Assaf was 65.

According to Kimora, she found out about the romance the same way the public did — through photos that suddenly appeared online.

The Baby Phat founder said she was stunned when pictures of the pair showing PDA in St.

Barths spread across social media. Kimora explained that it all seemed to happen "from 0 to 100," and she was shocked because she had no idea her daughter was seeing someone, let alone someone so much older.

According to Yahoo, she recalled thinking, "Aoki, I didn't even know this was a thing."

Kimora shared the story during an appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, where she also reflected on her own past experiences.

She said that because she once had a relationship with a large age gap, she felt uneasy seeing her daughter in a similar situation.

She admitted that she personally views these types of relationships as "predatorial," though she chose her words carefully when talking to Aoki.

Kimora Lee Kimora Avoided Harsh Reaction to Aoki

The fashion star explained that because everything happened so fast and the story blew up online, she tried not to respond in a harsh or panicked way.

She didn't want to be the mom who immediately shouted, "What are you doing?" even if that was how she felt inside.

Instead, she tried to keep calm, knowing that her daughter was already dealing with a lot of attention.

Kimora, who is also mom to Ming Lee, Kenzo, Gary, and Wolfe, said she believes the romance ended as quickly as it began, ENews reported.

She described it as "just a moment" and said she never saw it as anything serious. She also stressed that her kids need the space to make their own choices, even when those choices happen in the public eye.

She added that living life in front of the world makes mistakes harder to manage, especially for young people like Aoki.

Still, Kimora said she tries her best to support her children without overwhelming them.

A source later told sources that the brief connection between Aoki and Assaf was not a lasting relationship and ended shortly after it began.

Kimora's main concern, the source said, came from her own history and her desire to protect her daughter from situations that might mirror her past.

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Kimora Lee Simmons