Kimora Lee‘s Lifetime documentary isn’t holding anything back, and one of its most surprising revelations involves her longtime friend Tyra Banks. Ahead of the premiere of Kimora Lee: On Her Own, the former supermodel and Baby Phat founder opened up about a moment from the film where Banks allegedly tried to keep her away from Russell Simmons early in their relationship.
Source: Courtesy / Eugene Gologursky
Lee, who is now 51 years old, explained that she first caught Simmons’ attention in the mid-’90s while making a name for herself in New York’s modeling scene, fresh off her breakout as the face of Chanel in Paris. She recalled Simmons showing up front row at her fashion shows, loudly cheering her on before eventually making his way backstage. “I definitely was like, ‘Who is the weird guy at the end of the runway?’” she said in the documentary, adding that she was only 16 years old when they met, while Simmons was 18 years older, she said per PEOPLE.
As Simmons began sending large flower arrangements, Lee said her friend and fellow model Tyra Banks stepped in to try to slow things down.
“I remember Tyra kept me in her apartment through the weekend trying to avoid me going home and checking my voicemail,” Lee revealed. Looking back now, she admitted, “I felt a little bit like she was hating for sure, just because she was getting in my way and getting on my nerves.”
Lee speculated that Banks may have had her own prior history with Simmons, saying,
“I’m sure he had already tried to date her and had gone through the whole thing with her and probably so many other girls. I’m sure this was a ritual.”
Still, she acknowledged that Banks’ intentions likely came from a place of protection rather than jealousy, comparing it to how a close girlfriend might act. “I thought she was a little bit hating, but just how a girlfriend would do. She was trying to protect me,” Lee said, PEOPLE reports.
Kimora Lee’s Lifetime Documentary Reveals The Truth Behind Her Marriage To Simmons
Despite Banks’ early concerns, Lee went on to marry Simmons in 1998, with Banks even serving as a bridesmaid at the wedding. The couple welcomed daughters Ming Lee and Aoki together, with Aoki later becoming Banks’ goddaughter. Since then, however, the once-close friendship between Lee and Banks has fallen apart, with Lee revealing the two haven’t spoken in years.
Beyond the Tyra Banks reveal, Kimora Lee’s Lifetime documentary also dives into the more difficult parts of her relationship with Simmons, whom she has described as verbally abusive throughout much of their marriage. The two separated in 2006 and finalized their divorce in 2009.
“I didn’t even realize it was abusive until I started putting the pieces together,” Lee told PEOPLE, adding that at the time, those dynamics felt normalized to her.
Simmons has faced multiple sexual assault allegations from other women in recent years, all of which he has denied. Lee said she wasn’t aware of those allegations until after their relationship had already ended. The former couple also recently resolved a legal dispute over shared stocks.
As for whether the documentary might reignite tension with Simmons, Lee made her feelings clear. “I don’t give a damn about him or his drawls,” she said. “We are done.”
“Kimora Lee: On Her Own” premieres Sunday, September 20th, at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
