Kimora Lee Simmons is supporting her daughter Aoki Lee Simmons ‘ decision to pursue a modeling career while attending Harvard to receive an Ivy League degree.
When asked about critics wondering why Aoki would pursue modeling while attending the elite university, Simmons, 47, told People, “It’s just ludicrous.”
“Aoki is aware that we hope for the best. Therefore, whether it’s in front of or behind the camera… It doesn’t change your status as a model, a student, a businessperson, or a student of the world in any positive or negative ways. It’s crucial to pursue all of your interests.
Although Simmons is supportive of her daughter’s pursuit of a wide range of interests, she freely admits that her own experience in the industry made her wary of her daughter’s interest in modeling.
“I adore that she’s making an effort to walk in my shoes. However, I also think it’s frustrating since I doubt I would have become a model if I had part of what they had. While she says, “Mom, you should be proud,” she continued,
“but I think it’s just looking at multiple sides of a coin. Similar to aspirational, this is what other people hope to accomplish. I also get the impression that you occasionally try to spare your children from difficulties. That’s what any mother would presumably say, am I right?
“If I’ve done it, I know it’s difficult and a little janky. How come you would want to do it? However, we adore a clever but clumsy queen. She is an intelligent but awkward queen.
Aoki, 19, recently used TikTok to respond to a fan who was skeptical of her career choice by saying, “You’re so articulate and obviously educated…
Why did you choose to model? She continued by saying she wished for a time when intelligent young women would be free to follow their creative talents without hesitation.