Russell was noticeably absent during both Aoki and Ming’s graduations. While missing the graduations seemed reasonable due to him living in Bali now, Kimora and Aoki gave their Instagram followers insight into why he isn't around the family often.
Since Kimora and Russell divorced in 2009, the exes maintained a cordial relationship in the public eye. However, the positive approach shifted when Russell aired his and his ex’s drama on Instagram in June 2023.
On June 19, the day after Father’s Day 2023, Russell posted an Instagram Story that reportedly seemed like he blamed Kimora for him not being involved in his daughter’s lives.
“Stop telling fathers they should have fought harder to see their children & start asking mothers why he had to fight at all,” the post read (via People).
Kimora ended up seeing the Rush Card founder’s post and promptly decided to respond on her Instagram account. Kimora first wrote several posts on her stories, including one of her calling her ex “abusive” to every woman in his life. She also said Russell has been “threatening my kids’ lives,” which was one reason she decided to air out their issues publicly.
“I'm so sorry to have to do this," Kimora wrote in her post. "But this man has been threatening my kids' lives. I'm hearing so much more now. We won't be bullied, threatened, or afraid."
“Leave my kids alone," she added in another slide. "This narrative of attacking the only caregiver, the only parent in the home with the kids, the mom, AND the kids for one's own shortcomings and embarrassments is dead. Dead. Dead."
Kimora also went on Instagram Live, further detailing Russell’s alleged abusive and erratic behavior against her and their daughters. The fashion mogul accused her ex-husband of being manipulative and “gaslighting” her and their mutual friends to make himself look better. Kimora said Russell had gone so far as to post about flowers from her, which she claims were really flowers he sent to himself.
Amid Kimora’s allegations, Aoki chimed in with her side of the story and supported her mom’s claims. The influencer posted several examples of her father’s alleged violent behavior, including a recorded FaceTime call of a furious Russell allegedly screaming at Aoki while she muted him.
While the video has since been deleted, Aoki captioned the post by stating the video was an example of the verbal and emotional abuse she allegedly endured from her father before cutting him off.
"This is not someone who will accept help," she said. "This is just one screen recording. Sorry, I don’t always remember to press 'record' when he [Russell] calls my friends, my boyfriend, anyone, to get a chance to threaten, curse, and go crazy."
