Kimora Lee Says Tyra Banks Tried to Stop Her from Dating Russell Simmons

Kimora Lee Says Tyra Banks Tried to Keep Her Away From Russell Simmons: “I Thought She Was Hating”

Kimora Lee is opening up about the early days of her relationship with Russell Simmons — including the time fellow supermodel Tyra Banks reportedly tried to keep her away from him.

In a clip from her upcoming Lifetime documentary, Kimora Lee: On Her Own, Lee recalled first meeting Simmons while she was working as a young model.

Kimora said Simmons would frequently sit front row at fashion shows, loudly cheering and applauding before eventually coming backstage.

“I definitely was like, ‘Who is the weird guy at the end of the runway?’” Kimora recalled, according to PEOPLE. She also revealed that she was just 16 years old when she met Simmons, who was 18 years older than her.

As Simmons began sending Kimora huge floral arrangements, Banks apparently became concerned. Kimora recalled that Banks once kept her at her apartment for an entire weekend, even checking her voicemail in an effort to keep her from going home.

“I felt a little bit like she was hating for sure,” Kimora said.

At the time, Kimora said she believed Banks was interfering with her relationship and thought her friend was simply being a “hater.”

Looking back, however, Kimora acknowledged that Banks may have been trying to protect her.

“But just how a girlfriend would do. She was trying to protect me,” Kimora said.

Kimora also remembered the pre-cellphone era, explaining that she couldn’t simply check her messages while staying at Banks’ apartment. Simmons, however, eventually got through.

The full story will be explored in Kimora Lee: On Her Own, giving viewers a deeper look at the model, entrepreneur and mother’s life and career.