The Kimora Lee Simmons divorce settlement with Russell Simmons was finalized in January 2009 and required Russell to pay $40,000 a month in child support for the couple’s two daughters, with Kimora granted sole legal and physical custody. The original terms were straightforward. What has followed is not: a multimillion-dollar fight over energy drink stock, a federal forfeiture proceeding, and a lawsuit tied to the criminal case against Kimora’s second husband.
The 2009 Settlement Terms
Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee married in 1998 and separated in March 2006. Kimora filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 25, 2008, citing irreconcilable differences.1People. Kimora Lee Files for Divorce From Russell Simmons2LA Sentinel. Kimora Lee Simmons Files for Divorce The divorce was finalized in January 2009, and by February the financial terms were public.
Russell agreed to pay $20,000 per daughter each month, $40,000 total, for Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons. Payments were set to continue until each daughter reached 19 and a half.3Today. Simmons to Pay $40,000 a Month for Kids4ABC7. Celebrity Child Support Payments Russell told reporters the arrangement was voluntary: “nothing was ordered, it was given.”5UPI. Simmons to Pay 40K a Month in Support Based on the daughters’ birth years, payments were expected to run through roughly 2019 for Ming and 2022 for Aoki.6People. Simmons Sisters
The settlement also required Russell to buy or lease a car worth at least $60,000 for the daughters every two to three years.6People. Simmons Sisters No spousal support was publicly reported.
Custody and Visitation
Kimora received sole legal and physical custody. She held final say on medical and school decisions; business decisions involving the children required both parents’ consent.6People. Simmons Sisters
Russell’s visitation followed the school calendar: one full week out of every eight, half of summer, all holidays, a full week at Christmas, and half of spring break. A nanny and security personnel were required to accompany the children during visits. Russell said publicly that if the condition made Kimora “more comfortable to have her security and a nanny with us when I’m with my kids, that’s OK with me.”6People. Simmons Sisters
The Celsius Stock Lawsuit
The larger financial fight between Russell and Kimora is not about the 2009 terms. It concerns shares of Celsius Holdings, the energy drink company.
In January 2017, Nu Horizons Investment Group, a limited liability company Russell formed in 2011, bought about 433,333 shares of Celsius stock for $1.3 million. Kimora contributed $1 million toward the purchase from her personal bank account.7Justia. In Re Forfeiture Order of Tim Leissner et al v. USA In July 2018, nearly four million Celsius shares were transferred from Nu Horizons into Kimora’s personal brokerage account.8Justia. In Re Forfeiture Order of Tim Leissner et al v. USA
In May 2021, Russell sued Kimora and her second husband, former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, alleging they conspired to fraudulently transfer those shares to cover Leissner’s legal and bail expenses in the 1MDB money-laundering case. Russell said he did not learn of the transaction until July 2019. Kimora’s representatives called the suit “extortive harassment” and a “desperate PR ploy,” saying the shares were investments she and Leissner had made and that Russell still owed her millions in unpaid business loans.9Vanity Fair. Russell Simmons Kimora Lee Tim Leissner Fraud Lawsuit Stock Transfer
In November 2022, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed one of Russell’s breach of contract claims and ordered him to pay Kimora $100,773.37 in legal fees within 30 days.10Atlanta Black Star. Kimora Lee Simmons Wins Bitter Court Case With Ex-Husband Russell Simmons
The Federal Forfeiture Proceedings
The same Celsius shares became the subject of a separate federal case after the Department of Justice seized more than 3.3 million shares from Kimora’s J.P. Morgan brokerage account in March 2021. The seizure was tied to Leissner’s $43.7 million money judgment in the 1MDB case. At their peak, the seized shares were worth more than $400 million; after the stock price declined, the government sold them for roughly $190 million.11Sarawak Report. More Mystery Unravelled Over Goldman Sachs Banker’s Missing Millions
Both Russell and Kimora filed competing petitions in the forfeiture case, In Re Forfeiture Order of Tim Leissner in the Eastern District of New York. In December 2023, the court dismissed Russell’s direct claim for lack of standing but allowed a derivative claim on behalf of Nu Horizons to proceed. Kimora’s original petition was dismissed for lack of standing in October 2024, with permission to refile.12Justia. In Re Forfeiture Order of Tim Leissner et al v. USA – March 2025 Order She submitted an amended petition that same month. As of a July 2025 ruling, both her amended claim and Russell’s derivative claim remain active. Two other claimants, Roger Ng and Ken Siazon, had their petitions dismissed.13CaseMine. In Re Leissner – July 2025 Order
Reporting from early 2026 indicated a settlement between the government and Kimora over the remaining proceeds may be imminent, though no final resolution has been announced.14Rolling Stone. Russell Simmons Sexual Misconduct Assault Lawsuit
Kimora’s Second Divorce Is a Separate Case
Kimora’s divorce from Tim Leissner, who married her in 2014, is a distinct proceeding. Leissner filed from prison on April 20, 2026, citing irreconcilable differences. He requested joint legal and physical custody of their son Wolfe, sought spousal support from Kimora, and asked the court to terminate any obligation he might have to pay her alimony.15E! Online. Kimora Lee Simmons’ Husband Tim Leissner Divorce in Prison – What He Wants The couple had been estranged since at least March 2022, and a source familiar with the filing described it as “housekeeping,” noting the couple had been “going through this process for at least 6 years.”16TMZ. Kimora Lee Simmons’ Estranged Husband Files for Divorce Leissner is scheduled for release on September 27, 2027, and the divorce remains pending.17Extra TV. Kimora Lee Simmons’ Estranged Husband Tim Leissner Files for Divorce