Kimora Lee Simmons' Husbands Explained: Who Was She Legally Married to and Where Are Her Exes Now?
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Simmons met German-born investment banker Tim Leissner, then the Southeast Asia chairman for Goldman Sachs, in 2012. By December 2013, the two had secretly married, a development made public by Russell Simmons on social media to dispel rumors regarding Kimora's dating life. In April 2015, Simmons gave birth to their son, Wolfe Lee Leissner.
What initially seemed like a quiet union with a wealthy international financier soon mutated into one of the largest financial scandals in global history. Leissner played a pivotal role in the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) embezzlement scheme, which saw billions of dollars looted from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. In August 2018, Leissner pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He agreed to forfeit $43.7 million in illicit earnings.
The scandal inflicted devastating collateral damage on Simmons. In 2021, Russell Simmons filed a lawsuit against both Kimora and Leissner, alleging the couple had unlawfully transferred and pledged his shares in the energy drink company Celsius as collateral to fund Leissner's federal bail and legal defense team. The dispute splintered Kimora's once-harmonious relationship with Russell into a vicious cycle of public accusations and countersuits.
Leissner's criminal proceedings culminated in an active prison sentence. On April 21, 2026, both People and E! News reported that Leissner had officially filed for divorce from Simmons from behind bars. The split took another dramatic turn on July 21, 2026, when TMZ revealed court documents indicating Simmons petitioned the family court regarding child custody parameters for their son Wolfe, seeking specific primary arrangements that surprised many legal observers given Leissner's incarceration status.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
