Kimora Lee Simmons responds to Russell Simmons’ claims of fraud

Russell Simmons accused Kimora and Tim Leissner of stealing his shares from a drink company they’ve all invested in

After recent claims previously covered by theGrio, Kimora Lee Simmons has officially responded to Russell Simmons‘ fraud claims.

As theGrio previously reported, Russell Simmons has claimed that his ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons stole from him. Per theGrio‘s Keydra Manns, “Russell has accused his former wife of stealing his shares from an investment to pay her new husband’s legal fees and has filed a lawsuit against the mother of his two children and her husband.”

Now, a few days later, Kimora seems to be pushing back against Russell’s claims.

Read More: Russell Simmons accuses Kimora Lee Simmons of fraud in new lawsuit

Per a statement obtained by PEOPLE Magazine, Kimora and her new husband, Tim Leissner, are shocked by this news. The statement reads, “Kimora and her children are shocked by the extortive harassment coming from her ex-husband, Russell Simmons, who has decided to sue her for shares and dividends of Celsius stock in which Kimora and Tim Leissner invested millions of dollars…this is an ill-advised attempt by Russell to use the legal system to access funds he is in no way entitled to, and which his own legal team confirms Russell did not pay for.”

The statement continues, “Russell’s continued aggressive behavior not only blatantly distorts the facts, but is simply a desperate PR ploy ignoring the years of mental and emotional anguish, gaslighting, and ongoing harassment he has inflicted on Kimora.”

The statement also details plans to “confront” Russell’s claims head on, stating: “We will confront his baseless claims that he is warranted Celsius stock dividends despite his self-admitted zero contribution. This extortion attempt is especially egregious given that Russell remains contractually in debt to Kimora for millions of dollars in unpaid business loans.”

Read More: Russell Simmons accuser slams ‘The Breakfast Club’ over new interview with mogul

Per theGrio‘s previous report, Simmons’ claims against his ex-wife are linked to Celsius, a drink company they both invested in. Simmons claims Kimora used shares as “collateral for a bond connected to federal charges against Leissner.”

In 2018, Forbes reported that Leissner was charged with money laundering and pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Russell and Kimora split back in 2009, and since then Simmons has been under a sizable amount of scrutiny after the documentary On the Record premiered, which alleges Simmons sexually assaulted and harassed multiple women.

However, in an appearance on The Breakfast Club in June 2020, Simmons denied intentionally victimizing anyone.

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The post Kimora Lee Simmons responds to Russell Simmons’ claims of fraud appeared first on TheGrio.