Kimora Lee Simmons Reportedly Living Rent-Free Amid 5-Year Court Battle
By Afouda Bamidele on February 12, 2026 at 4:45 PM EST
The roof over Kimora Lee Simmons head hangs in an ongoing legal battle in a case of stolen funds.
The reality TV star has been living rent-free in her mansion in Beverly Hills, refusing to vacate while the property remains part of an open dispute in court, as it was allegedly acquired via stolen funds. The fraud charges are tied to her estranged husband, Tim Leissner, who was previously convicted.
Kimora Lee Simmons is an entrepreneur and single mom to five kids from her previous marriages. She has spoken widely on how she prioritizes her single life and focuses on raising her kids.
Kimora Lee Simmons Wants To Continue Her Rent-Free Stay In Beverly Hills Mansion
Lee Simmons has spent the past five years in a $25 million villa in Beverly Hills and is refusing to leave despite the legal battles surrounding the property. Her estranged husband purchased the mansion with stolen funds from 1MDB.
All these years, she has not paid the mortgage or rent for the property, and court documents reveal she is refusing eviction. 1MDB is a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund at the heart of one of the world's largest multibillion-dollar frauds in history. His involvement in the scam resulted in a two-year sentence behind bars.
The reality TV star claims that Leissner sold the abode fraudulently and without authorization to real estate headliners, the Reuben brothers, in November 2020.
Court documents show that Leissner and Lee Simmons were to pay $67,000 a month to continue living on the property, which has not been paid to date. The fate of the seven-bedroom mansion, which sits on 3.7 acres of land, remains uncertain as the legal battle lingers on.
According to The New York Post, the dispute over possession, title, and liability is a result of the distressed refinancing and sale-leaseback of the mansion.
The Media Personality's Ex Admitted The Source Of The Funds For The House
Disgraced banker, Leissner testified under oath in 2022, confirming that he bought the Beverly Hills mansion with $25 million that had been stolen from the Malaysian people. However, in his testimony, there was no suggestion or evidence that Lee Simmons was involved in the crime.
He also disclosed that he made efforts to move and hide assets, including ownership of his major holdings like Keyway, the holding company for the Beverly Hills mansion, out of fear that the US government would seek to disgorge the property as restitution.
Properties of many involved in the fraudulent scheme were seized by the government, down to celebrities who were gifted pricey assets bought with stolen 1MDB money.
They were asked to return them in a record civil asset forfeiture case by the US government. On that list was popular actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, who returned a Picasso and a Basquiat worth a combined $12.2 million.
Most of the properties recovered have been sold off and the earnings remitted to the Malaysian government. The Beverly Hills mansion, among a few others, remains outstanding.
The Former Model And Tim Leissner Tied The Knot Behind Closed Doors
The former lovebirds got married back in 2014 in a very private ceremony. The news of their union came to the public's ears after her ex-husband, Russell Simmons, announced it on social media.
His post on Twitter (now X) read, "All of us love @OfficialKimora, but the fact is she is happily married. Tim is [sic] has been family for a while now. #gossipcop...Oh. And.. Tim is not Russian. Lol."
ABC News shared that Russell broke the news shortly after the widespread rumors of his ex-wife dating her longtime friend, Rapper Bryan Christopher Williams, popularly known as Birdman.
The rumors were further ignited after Birdman shared a cute post on Instagram, tagging Lee Simmons, writing that she was the love of his life before expressing gratitude for all she does for him.
The Fashion Mogul Is Focused On Enjoying Her Single Life
Lee Simmons told PEOPLE that she is all about remaining single and is not interested in jumping into the dating pool anytime soon. After two ended marriages, she shared that she does not have any prospects and is not planning on looking on dating apps.
The 50-year-old fashion model stated that her life is centered around her kids, Ming, Aoki, Kenzo, Gary, Wolfe, and her "bonus son" Jayden, and she is more invested in their dating lives.
"We're very close, and I try to give them the best advice I can," she says. "I've seen a lot of things. We're definitely all learning from each other. It's like the battle of the sexes under one roof," she shared.
Her eldest two kids, Ming and Aoki, are from her first marriage with Russell, while Kenzo's father is actor Djimon Hounsou, whom she dated from 2007 to 2012. She had Wolfe with her, estranged husband Leissner, and adopted Gary in 2020.
Kimora Lee Simmons Says She Is The Primary Parent To Her Kids
Lee Simmons previously explained that she is usually hesitant to describe her relationship with her kids as co-parenting. "I'm pretty much the primary parent," she said, but this statement was not well received by her ex-husband, Russell, who clapped back on Instagram.
The Blast shared that Russell went all out with details of his active participation in their kids' lives, claiming, "I gave you 50,000 a month for 20 years. I was your best/only friend. I'm the godfather to your other 3 kids."
The father of two then added, "Until one day you stole my stock, I have been fighting for my kids' love and my bread ever since. You threatened that if I sued you, I would never speak to my kids again. There are two sides to every story."
Many fans did not take his side, and Lee Simmons responded on her Instagram stories, stating that Russell's statement bore lies.
Will Kimora Lee Simmons finally vacate the mansion?
