Hollywood may be the land of fame and fortune but it’s also known for dating rumors and nasty marriage battles. The media can’t help report the hottest gossip about celebrity relationships, whether it’s about a blossoming love story or a marriage falling through the cracks. For former Baby Phat entrepreneur Kimora Lee Simmons and her ex, actor Djimon Hounsou, their relationship troubles have yet to come to an end. As of late, the two former lovers have been in an ugly custody battle over their 11-year-old son Kenzo Lee Hounsou. The battle has been raging on for the last few years now and the couple have yet to reach a resolution. Clearly, the fashion mogul and the actor didn’t separate on good terms. However, it’s only right that Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou get along for the sake of their son.
Trouble In Paradise
Everyone knows Kimora Simmons and Djimon Hounsou had issues long before the custody battle over their son began. Back in the summer of 2012, Daily News reported that the couple called it quits after getting into an explosive fight over money. More details revealed that Kimora’s ex-husband, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, had stopped funding their lavish lifestyle. What’s odd is that Russell and Kimora separated in 2006 but weren’t legally divorced until 2009. By that time, Kimora had already moved on to Hounsou in 2007 and the two happily lived off Simmons riches. No wonder the money flow came to a screeching halt. Daily News further reported that Kimora was seen “unloading” her six-bedroom, eight-bathroom Beverly Hills home, having paid all $5.9 million with Russell’s money.
In addition to losing her home, the fashion mogul and her ex were on rocky waters. They had “separated” across states, with Hounsou working from Vancouver. Even at a holiday gathering thrown by Kimora’s ex-husband Russell Simmons, the two barely spoke with one another. A source reported that while Kimora socialized with her ex, Djimon was left to watch over their son Kenzo, as well as Kimora’s daughters Ming and Aoki, whom she shared with Russell. At that point, it was clear to see the two had no love left for one another.
Co-Parenting Gone Wrong
No family is perfect but Kimora Simmons’ co-parenting arrangement with her ex takes the cake. The 45-year-old and her ex-beau Djimon Hounsou dated for several years, seeming like the perfect couple in love. Having already two daughters from her previous relationship with ex-husband Russell Simmons, Kimora and Djimon Hounsou welcomed their first son together in 2011. Though, their relationship quickly turned sour afterward.
Eventually, their relationship turmoil poured over to their shared responsibility of their son. The custody battle over Kenzo began and grows more intense every day. Things became more heated after Hounsou stated that he planned to take Kenzo with him to Africa. After getting word about his plans, Kimora and her ex-husband Russell Simmons tried to pressure Hounsou into signing an agreement promising not to take Kenzo out of the country.
However, Hounsou refused to do so. In another incident, the two started feuding over their son again one year during Father’s Day. Sources reported that the actor became more serious about getting custody of his son, after claiming that Simmons refused to let him see his son on the holiday. The fashion mogul fought back with the statement “She has an open-door policy and has been view open to letting Djimon visit his son, but he’s never around.” Seem like there’s plenty of he said, she said going on between the former couple. Eventually, the Shazam actor decided to take legal action against Simmons to get shared custody of his son. Hounsou filed a lawsuit on August 1, which petitioned a legal parental relationship with their son Kenzo. Additionally, the paperwork stated that Djimon was seeking child support, a custody agreement with Kimora, and visitation rights. Last year, Kimora was spotted being handed the documentation from a legal representative while casually walking the streets of Beverly Hills. It was an aggressive move on Djimon’s part but also necessary.
Kimora And Djimon Are Making Progress
Despite their relationship troubles, the couple put their son first and remind him that he is loved. On Kenzo’s 11th birthday, the Shazam actor was able to get that quality time with his son and posted the special moment on his Instagram page. In the captions, the Phat Girls star wrote: “Happy, blissful birthday celebration to my son #KenzoLeeHounsou #KLH t’aime.” Seems like Kimora and Djimon were able to work out their son’s visitation schedule after all. Now if only they could resolve the custody battle over their son in a more civil manner.
The fashion mogul and Shazam actor obviously have a lot to sort out. If Kimora Lee Simmons and Russell can get along for the sake of their two daughters, then she should be able to do the same with her ex Djimon Hounsou.
