Kimora Lee Simmons 'Shocked' by Ex Russell Simmons' Lawsuit, Labels It 'Extortion' and 'Serial Abuse'

Tomás Mier
·3 min read
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Randy Brooke/WireImage; Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic

Kimora Lee Simmons is responding to her ex-husband Russell Simmons' recent lawsuit against her and her current husban Tim Leissner.

After Simmons, 63, alleged in a complaint that Kimora, 46, and Leissner, 49, fraudulently transferred 4 million shares of energy drink company Celsius to pay for Leissner's legal fees related to a money laundering case, Kimora is responding to Simmons' claims.

"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," Kimora's legal team tells PEOPLE in a statement. "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."

"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 continued, without giving details concerning those claims.

A rep for Simmons did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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RELATED: Russell Simmons Sues Ex Kimora Lee Simmons for Allegedly Stealing Stocks to Pay Husband's Bail Fees

The legal counsel continued by stating that Simmons will be "held accountable" for his "serial abuse" as they confront his claims related to the Celsius stocks.

"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," the statement ended. "Our team is actively working to put a firm end to his harassment, which continues despite Russell having fled the country - he will face his own reckoning in the US court."

Simmons' whereabouts are currently unclear. In 2019, he spent some time in Bali, Indonesia, however, his rep told The Blast at the time that he was the accusation that he was "hiding out in Bali, a country that does not have any extradition treaty with the United States, is false."

In Simmons' lawsuit, he accuses Kimora and Leissner of fraudulently transferring his stocks in order to pay Leissner's $44 million fine to avoid jail time after pleading guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit money laundering. Simmons requested that Kimora and Leissner "reaffirm" his 50% of Celsius shares, pay money and punitive damages, along with legal fees.

In 2018, Simmons. was accused of sexual misconduct by nearly a dozen women. At the time, Kimora said the allegations were "nothing like the person I have known." (Simmons and Kimora were married from 1998 to 2009, although they split in 2006. The two share daughters Ming, 21, and Aoki, 18, and had been amicable business partners since their divorce.)