Russell Simmons sues ex-wife Kimora Lee for ‘stealing stocks to pay her husband Tim Leissner’s $44M bail’
Ousted Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons is suing his ex-wife Kimora Lee and her second husband Tim Leissner to return nearly 4M shares of stocks they allegedly stole from him in 2018.
The disgraced 63-year-old accused the couple of making a ‘fraudulent transfer’ of his 50% shares in the energy drink company Celsius to pay Leissner’s legal/bail fees totaling $44M.
The disgraced 49-year-old avoided jail time by pleading guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit money laundering for stealing billions from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB.
New legal war: Ousted Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons (L) is suing his ex-wife Kimora Lee (M) and her second husband Tim Leissner (R) to return nearly 4M shares of stocks they allegedly stole from him in 2018
The disgraced 63-year-old accused the couple of making a ‘fraudulent transfer’ of his 50% shares in the energy drink company Celsius to pay Leissner’s legal/bail fees totaling $44M
According to People, Russell wrote: ‘I am shocked and saddened to see how your side has behaved in response to my repeated attempts to get an agreement from you to rightfully and legally reaffirm my 50% of the Celsius shares which have been locked up with the government after being used for your husband’s bail money.’
Simmons didn’t discover the ‘blatant fraud to achieve that nefarious and unlawful goal’ until July 2019.
The Eat to Live author – who ended his seven-year marriage to Kimora in 2008 – is now demanding the return of the shares, payment, punitive damages, and attorney legal fees.
Bad influence? The disgraced 49-year-old (L, pictured in 2019) avoided jail time by pleading guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit money laundering for stealing billions from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB
Russell wrote: ‘I am shocked and saddened to see how your side has behaved in response to my repeated attempts to get an agreement from you to rightfully and legally reaffirm my 50% of the Celsius shares which have been locked up with the government after being used for your husband’s bail money’
Almost got away with it? Simmons didn’t discover the ‘blatant fraud to achieve that nefarious and unlawful goal’ until July 2019 (couple pictured in 2018)
Russell and the 46-year-old Baby Phat CEO were previously believed to be amicable exes, who dote on 21-year-old daughter Ming and 18-year-old daughter Aoki.
Simmons currently runs a meditation/yoga app called GDAS and lives in exile in Bali (due to extradition laws) after being accused of over 20 women of sexual assault and misconduct.
The vegan yogi’s #MeToo scandal was detailed in Kirby Dick + Amy Ziering’s critically-acclaimed documentary On the Record, which premiered a year ago on HBO Max.
‘Visual representation of my parents’ relationship’: The Eat to Live author – who ended his seven-year marriage to Kimora in 2008 – is now demanding the return of the shares, payment, punitive damages, and attorney legal fees (pictured in 2019)
2019 family portrait: Russell and the 46-year-old Baby Phat CEO were previously believed to be amicable exes, who dote on 21-year-old daughter Ming and 18-year-old daughter Aoki
Due to extradition laws: Simmons (pictured Sunday) currently runs a meditation/yoga app called GDAS and lives in exile in Bali after being accused of over 20 women of sexual assault and misconduct