Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons’ Child Phat feud is exploding across the US as the former power couple goes public with wildly different stories about who really built the enduring 2000s streetwear empire. This dispute highlights how credit and legacy in fashion can shape cultural history, making it a story that resonates beyond celebrity gossip.
In a recent interview on the ‘Aspire’ podcast with Emma Grede, Kimora, now 50, opened up about her role within the model she helped launch in 1999 as an offshoot of Russell’s Phat Farm. When asked whether she owned enough of the business given her major contribution, she bluntly said, ‘No, positively not.’ She explained that all the sales to Kellwood in 2010 were driven by Child Phat, which reportedly reached $1 billion in peak gross sales. ‘We built that company up and probably sold it for 100 and one thing million. I probably got 20 million of that or less,’ Kimora said, noting Phat Farm itself was ‘out of date’ at the time.
Russell Simmons, 68, responded quickly. In a fiery Instagram comment, he defended himself: ‘I gave her the brand, which already existed. I put her in Child Phat leather shorts the day we met. I found designers, made her famous, and marketed the brand with her face on it. Ultimately, she learned and grew. She did a great job. BUT NOTE… very beneficial to me.’
The back-and-forth has lit up social media. Followers are cut up — some calling Russell’s feedback “Trump-ish” and noting he was 35 when they met, whereas others defend him as the visionary who launched the Phat Farm empire. One commenter wrote, “She was like 16, and he was like 35. It’s actually the least he may do.” One other fired again, “He constructed a whole BRAND… cease enjoying with him!”
The couple met in 1991, married in 1998, and share daughters Ming Lee, 26, and Aoki Lee, 24. Child Phat became a 2000s staple, worn by everyone from Lil’ Kim to Missy Elliott, and helped push streetwear into the mainstream. Kimora purchased the model again in 2019 and even introduced her children and son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, into a Forever 21 collaboration.
Seventeen years after their divorce, the 2 trend pioneers still have very different recollections of how Child Phat went from a side project to a cultural icon. For American trend followers and superstar watchers, this very public he-said-she-said is more than simply superstar gossip — it’s a window into how credit score, cash, and legacy get divided long after the ring comes off.
The controversy over who actually constructed Child Phat is far from over, and with each star nonetheless lively in trend, this feud may run for years.
By Sam Michael
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