Russell Simmons’ legal battle with his ex-wife, Kimora Lee Simmons, appears far from over, despite his earlier optimism about a resolution. Four months ago, Russell hinted that the lawsuit he filed against Kimora was close to being settled, but recent developments suggest otherwise.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, the 66-year-old music mogul has ramped up his efforts, demanding that Kimora, 49, produce private text messages and appear for a deposition this month as part of their ongoing federal court dispute. The case centers around allegations that Kimora used Russell’s shares of their jointly owned energy drink company to bail out her then-husband, Tim Leissner, from jail.
Russell’s recent legal moves indicate that the two have reached an impasse regarding the production of key documents he believes are critical to proving his case. He is specifically seeking communications between Kimora and Tim Leissner related to financial transactions that are at the heart of the dispute, as well as communications between Kimora and her financial advisors. Despite repeated requests, Kimora has not turned over the texts Russell believes are necessary for his case.
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“The only text messages Ms. Lee has produced appear to be messages sent or received by Defendant Leissner, not her,” Russell’s lawyer argued, adding that Russell is entitled to messages containing responsive content, excluding those solely between Kimora and Leissner unless third parties were involved in the conversation.
In addition to the document dispute, Russell is pressing for Kimora to attend a deposition in New York. However, Kimora’s legal team has pushed back, arguing that she resides in Los Angeles, where three of her five children—who are school-age minors—live with her. Her lawyer emphasized that Russell is well aware of her location, noting that he has even sued her in Los Angeles previously. Kimora is insisting that the deposition take place in Los Angeles instead.
As tensions between the former couple escalate, a judge has set a hearing for October to address these issues.
Thoughts?