In many of the online discussions about Aoki Lee Simmons’ relationship with Vittorio Assaf, she’s been accused of being a “sugar baby” who was only spending time with the wealthy Serafina founder because of the luxurious lifestyle he could provide for her. After the pair reportedly broke up, one Instagrammer commented, “Just a sugar daddy and a sugar baby. It’s usually a short-term contract.”
The gossip about the May-December romance also sparked renewed interest in Russell Simmons’ damaged relationship with his daughter. In a resurfaced video posted on The Neighborhood Talk Instagram account, the music mogul got called out by Aoki for not paying her a high enough allowance. The footage of the father and daughter video chatting was filmed in 2022 while Aoki was still attending Harvard (she graduated in 2023). “If you don’t raise my budget, I’m gonna get a sugar daddy,” Aoki jokingly warns her incredulous father in the clip. However, Russell didn’t take her plan to fund her lifestyle seriously. “You don’t even have sugar daddy capabilities,” he responds.
When TMZ asked Russell to share his thoughts about Aoki and Assaf’s PDA pics, the Def Jam exec revealed that Aoki warned him they were incoming. “I’m not gonna kick and scream about her choices,” he said. Russell couldn’t complain without coming off as a bit of a hypocrite; per People, Kimora Lee Simmons was a 17-year-old model when Russell first met her — and he was 35.
