Kimora Lee Simmons is defending her ex-husband against the numerous accusations of rape and sexual assault he’s facing.
At least 13 women have accused music producer and mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct in recent months. Six of his accusers allege that he raped them.
Russell Simmons has denied all of the allegations against him, and his ex-wife has remained silent about the accusations until Friday when she posted a message of support on Instagram.
The actress and designer, who was married to Russell Simmons between 1998 and 2009, emphasized that she has known the Def Jam co-founder for 25 years.
“These allegations against him are nothing like the person I have known in all that time,” she said in the post. “I have known him to be a caring and supportive father who has worked tirelessly to uplift disenfranchised communities.”
On Wednesday, aspiring filmmaker Jennifer Jarosik filed a $5 million lawsuit against Simmons, alleging that he sexually assaulted her.
She claims that the 60-year-old raped her at his Los Angeles home in 2016 after she refused to have sex with him.
On Thursday, Simmons released a statement in response saying, “All of my relations have been consensual.” He vowed to “relentlessly fight against any untruthful character assassination that paints me as a man of violence.”