Russell Simmons to pay $40k a month in child support (update)

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The divorce between Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell Simmons has finally come to a close. The two separated in early 2006, filing for divorce in 2008. Now it seems like Kimora Lee got exactly what she wanted out of the proceedings. She will get $20,000 a month in child support for each of her daughters, Ming and Akoi until they turn 19; and every three years until they turn 16 he will have to buy them a new car costing at least $60,000. Russell also gets no custody, with very rigid visitation rights. He will only get to see them every eight weeks, and even then a nanny as well as a bodyguard must be present at all times.

Simmons has agreed to pay child support for daughters, Ming, 9, and Aoki, 6, of $20,000 each per month until the girls turn 19, according to court papers filed Thursday in Los Angeles.

Lee Simmons also won sole legal and physical custody of the girls, with monitored visitation for Simmons.

“When the children are in [Simmons’s] custody, they shall be accompanied at all times by a nanny and security person,” the filing reads.

Simmons also agreed to provide a new car, worth at least $60,000, for the children’s use, until they turn 16. The car will be replaced every three years, documents show.

The papers also outline a meticulous, seven-page agreement on Simmons’s visitation rights, giving him access to the girls every eighth week during their school year and on various holidays.

[from People]

This divorce hasn’t been exactly bitter, at least in the public eye, and the two have long been seen canoodling with their respective significant others. Kimora, for one, has been dating Djimon Hounsou, and has hinted at their engagement. She is also pregnant with his baby. Russell has been seen out with various young women.

Considering how the divorce was finally settled, I imagine that Kimora acted like the self-important diva she is throughout the entire process. She’s not known for being easy to work with. Even E! wanted to pull her show from their network because she was being difficult. Her diva antics are probably what ultimately got her full custody of the girls with such rigid visitation rules. He’s always struck me as a zen, yoga-loving guy, and I wonder under what grounds she was able to so severely limit her children’s interaction with their father.

Also curious is the car agreement. The girls each get a car every three years until they turn 16 – which would be the age at which they would actually get to use the car. Wouldn’t it make more sense if he had to buy them a car for their 16th birthday? Well – that’s Hollywood divorce for you.

Update: Russell Simmons has blogged that it’s not true that a judge ordered him to pay $40k a month for his daughters and that he’s doing it willingly to provide a good education and future for them:

I am reading these stories today about how a judge ordered me to pay Kimora $40,000 a month in child support and I want to make something very clear. Nothing was ordered, it was given. My kids have a fabulous life; they are exposed to a broad range of artistic and scholastic educational programs and I’m very happy to contribute to that. As long as I have it, they can have it. If I ever don’t have it, I’m coming to live with them!

[From GlobalGrind]

Russell Simmons is shown with his daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee on 2/12/09 at the NAACP Image Awards. Credit: Bauergriffinonline

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30 Responses to “Russell Simmons to pay $40k a month in child support (update)”

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  1. Wonder Woman says:

    a month? This is bullshit. we need to create a clan of robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. these celebs have way to much money for petty things

  2. Michele says:

    If I’m not mistaken, Kimora makes more cash in one year than most people make in their entire lives with her clothing lines, perfume, and whatever other tacky ass crap she sells. How the hell could a sane judge legally grant her that much per month in child support and other expenditures? (At least 60k for a car? Really?) I’d really like to know how she is raising her children that requires twenty grand a month for each of them.

    And Russell Simmons has got to have the worst attorney ever.

  3. pixiegirl says:

    I bet he didn’t have the energy to fight the crazy.

  4. HEB says:

    It doesn’t matter how much Kimora makes, child support is based on how much Russell would have brought to the table if they were still together. Its not based on how much the kids actually need.

  5. alibeebee says:

    poor mr simmons.. i don’t know maybe he should get a new lawyer.. but if the ” legal” gave K fed custody and he’s daddy of the year I guess Kimora and her DIvatude is momma of the year?

    Lame lame and Lamer!

  6. Michele says:

    I see your point, HEB, but it doesn’t change the fact that Kimora is a tacky, classless gold digger.

  7. morgs says:

    to continue for Michelle: with a wonky neck that all the money in the world can’t seem to fix.

  8. Rosanna says:

    Child support the way it is now is a legalized robbery and a bad message for the kids. For one, if their parents were still married, they could very well give way LESS than this to the kids and no judge could have a say. For two, all of these “needs” are unchallenged, uncontested, whatever the kids want to do, do because they are “entitled” to this and that. So it happens more and more often that the kids of divorced parents are needy, spoiled and unruly. Whatever happened to real parenting? I’ve never been for abuse but spending more than 1,000/week on a kid is LUDICROUS, no matter how much money one has, it’s simply wrong. For the kid!!!

  9. Lem says:

    @ pixie lol

    I’m thinking the car must be for transportation for the girls.
    Fat neck & Def Jam seem like such polar opposites, but they do seem, when shown together to get along just fine.

    Once every 8 weeks is weird. You have to believe Russ & Kimmy see each other more than that as they are still in business together. Nanny & security guard. Weirder.

  10. Lem says:

    Those girls are already horribly entitled from what I’ve seen on the show. (Yeah I watched it, what?)
    I think maybe they should live w/ Russell and just see Kimora once every 8 weeks.
    They are going to be a fine hot mess when they grow up. A hot mess! Trust.

  11. HEB says:

    I agree with you too Michele, who knows how much Kimora actually asked for! Everyone is commenting on how horrible Russell’s lawyer must be…but he probably had to talk Kimora’s people down from 100Gs a month, and a new car EVERY year… so he did a decent job.

  12. IvyMades says:

    This is SO strange? Why doesn’t he have joint custody?? Most non-joint decisions allow the dad to have every other weekend, plus 1 month of the summer WITHOUT chaperons present. This case is very strange…

  13. Dana Da Designated Hata says:

    I think Russell just wanted out and would do whatever he had to do to be FREE. Those kids are super spoiled. There is no need for her to receive that amount of money monthly for child support. What the hell do these kids do besides go to school? I’m sure it must be to pay for security and their personal chef because their imaginary friends are free…that is if they even have any? Those apples didn’t fall to far from the tree because they appear to be just as bossy as Mommy Dearest!! My question is, what the hell did Russell do to piss Kimora off that much that he has to have supervised visits with his own children? Hmmmm?

  14. Kayleigh says:

    Why do they need cars BEFORE they are 16? And whats with the visitation rights? Did he like beat them up or something or have a drug problem? Every 8 weeks, crazy.

  15. Embee says:

    Wow. Those girls are going to end up hating their mother. Bad dads withhold money bad moms withhold time with the kids. These people are just doing it with more stuff. Nothing worse than ignorant people with assets.

  16. SW says:

    And to think my mom only got $180 a month for me – she got gypped!!
    Only kidding. That’s a shame. $40K a month??? Think maybe she’ll (Kimora) will put the money into a trust fund or something for those girls? I don’t think so…those kids are going to grow up even greedier than their mom. Sad to say, and I’m a little ashamed of myself for saying that.
    Maybe she’ll take one of those payments and have some lipo on her neck at least.

  17. TinaWithPom says:

    disgusting.

  18. LadyTee says:

    This whole situation sucks. What did Russell do to those girls. He is really a fool to agree with a situation like that. I am really surprised at Mrs. Fatneck I really thought she was a better person than that, In all honesty it is Russell problem. Fatneck was a little girl when he married her. That tells a lot about his character. Chasing after little girls It makes you wonder?

  19. eternalcanadian says:

    doesn’t russell have any custody? shouldn’t it be 50-50 if he’s forking over that much money? that’s one whacked alimony settlement. they can’t live on less than $20,000 a month? wow, talk about materialism. 😮

  20. eternalcanadian says:

    hey, what happened to the editing feature? urgh, i meant the $20,000 for each child, not all together.

  21. daisy424 says:

    It usually depends on what state law dictates. Each state has a ‘guideline’ based on income, number of children & age of the children for both parents.

  22. Hieronymous Grex says:

    Kimora isn’t exactly pleading the poor house, so this seems grossly out of proportion. The CS system is archaic to begin with.

  23. Christina says:

    i could see how the kids would need that money… say the kids were living with their parents in a big house… granted the house isn’t theirs, but if the income doesn’t keep flowing in, the payments won’t be made and the kids will have to be moved… therefore, indirectly, the money is going to the kids as well… if i’m making any sense…

    also, it’s not for us to judge what exactly happened in the courtroom since we’re not privy to even one shred of the evidence… there must be a reason for this ruling… heck, maybe russel didn’t wanna bother with the kids and it was HIS desire to see them that infrequently… maybe he beat them, maybe hes’ a drug addict… who knows…

    there is some merit to the “lifestyle” argument because i can see how a dramatic change in the structure of a child’s life could cause more trauma on top of a divorce…

  24. adrseq says:

    well, maybe they go to an expensive private school? that could take up a chunk of it.

  25. Codzilla says:

    Every three years he should buy them used Ford Escorts with diamond-plated steering wheels. Hey, as long as the total value is 60K, right?

  26. Nita says:

    People who have money and are educated know what it takes to raise children. I am proud of Kimora for looking out for her children. One thing has nothing to do with the other. He is their father and should pay child support. As far as visitation rights each situation is different. Until you have walked in a mother’s shoes and know her situation refrain from being judgemental. Kimora knows Russell better than anybody and knows his lifestyle. She has the right to limit what her girls are exposed to. It is her job to protect her girls. The child care system is filled with children whose parent did not protect them and they were exposed to unfortunate situations. So please stop being jealous and hating on Kimora. She is a working mom who made a name for herself. Kimora has used her power as a woman and built an empire she worked hard to obtain. Women can learn a lot from Kimora. If more women would make better choices in life they too may be successful in what they do. For that I respect Kimora as a woman.

  27. Michele says:

    “…Women can learn a lot from Kimora.”

    *rimshot*

  28. khaled says:

    some people do not know what to do

  29. khaled says:

    also he got to be a fool to pay that much money

  30. khaled says:

    i need to act like him for black history moth man dam and he is also stupide