Russell Simmons, the famous music mogul, has broken his silence regarding his daughter Aoki's controversial romance with 65-year-old millionaire Vittorio Assaf.
The relationship, which has surprised many people due to the 44-year age gap, has prompted Simmons to give his point on the matter.
In an interview with TMZ, Russell Simmons revealed his willingness to embrace and support his daughter Aoki's choices with protest.
As a father, Simmons understands the importance of being a guiding presence in her life and offering unwavering love.
Russell stated that he should not dictate her choices but rather be a supportive figure providing advice and guidance when needed.
Before the pictures came out, Aoki told Russell about her relationship, giving him a day's notice.
Russell and Kimora were married from 1998 to 2009 and have two daughters together.
Aoki is Kimora's youngest daughter, and Ming is their other daughter, who is now 24 years old. Kimora has more children from different relationships
She has a 14-year-old son named Kenzo with Djimon Hounsou and a nearly nine-year-old son named Wolfe with Tim Leissner.
In 2020, she and Leissner adopted their 14-year-old son Gary.
After the photos were released, Russell shared an old picture of himself and Aoki from June 2022. He also wrote a heartfelt message expressing his unconditional love for her.
The huge age difference between the two has fueled the ongoing conversation about whether such relationships are acceptable.
However, Simmons' response indicates that he values his daughter's autonomy and trusts her judgment in choosing her partner.
It's unclear how long Aoki and Vittoria have been dating, but a friend of Aoki revealed that they met while on vacation in ST. Barths.
The source said that Aoki and Vittorio are enjoying their time together and getting along well.
During their trip, Vittorio, who co-founded the Serafina restaurant chain, took pictures of Aoki and captured their day at the beach.
Both Aoki and Vittorio posted pictures from their vacation on Instagram, but they didn't share any photos of each other.
Vittorio Assaf, who is originally from Milan, was previously married to a former model named Charlotte Bostrom.
Their separation made headlines in 2021 when Assaf confirmed that Bonstrom was having an affair with her sister's ex-husband, Thierry Gillier.
Assaf explained that he and Bonstrom were going through a divorce because she wanted to marry Gillier.
They were married for more than 20 years and have two children together, a 21-year-old son named Vittorio Jr. and a 17-year-old daughter named Valentina.
