Russell Simmons says he's 'deeply sorry' for yelling at his daughters in vague Instagram apology

Russell Simmons is addressing allegations of abusive behavior from his ex-wife and their daughter.

On Tuesday, the entrepreneur posted a cryptic message on Instagram seemingly to his daughters apologizing for "being frustrated and yelling."

"God is testing you a little bit, it's ok, be strong," Simmons wrote through a series of ellipses. "They are called growing pains...as you know, we grow through adversity and struggle...you read my books and heard me preach your whole childhood...reach back to old lessons and remember to remember "smile and breathe" ❤️ "smile and breathe"...you are the watchers of this world...so let go...be at ease...God is driving and he is working on you ❤️."

He continued, "DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling...but know this...there are no conditions...for sure i love you guys more than i love myself."

On Monday, Simmons' ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons and daughter Aoki Lee Simmons used Instagram to call out the Def Jam co-founder for erratic and verbally abusive behavior. The 65-year-old has also been accused of sexual misconduct and assault by more than a dozen women, though he has denied all allegations.

"I'm so sorry to have to do this. But this man has been threatening my kids' lives. I'm hearing so much more now. We won't be bullied or threatened or afraid," Kimora Lee Simmons shared in an Instagram Story. "No one should live like this. No one's child. This is abuse. Not ok."

Amy Graves/WireImage Russell Simmons

Aoki Lee, 20, shared texts and soundless video call recordings in which her father appears to berate his crying daughter. "He's been awful to me for years," Lee wrote on Instagram in posts that have since been deleted, adding that she's had severe panic attacks as a result of his behavior.

"My father is not well, for years" Lee added. "He needs help and won't accept that. He refuses to acknowledge he is not himself. He has threatened and bullied my sister, my grandma, he has harassed my grandma in the middle of the night in poor health, sen[t] a man to my sister's apartment at 2am to scare her. He lashes out at ANYONE who does not say 'oh Russell everything is fine.' Well it's not fine."

Representatives for Simmons did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

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