Kimora Lee Simmons is looking back at a warning from her longtime friend Tyra Banks, and she says she sees it very differently now.

In her new Lifetime documentary, Kimora Lee: On Her Own, Kimora recalled being a teenager when she became involved with Russell Simmons, who was 18 years older than her.

Kimora stated that, during that time, Tyra tried to keep her away from Russell. She remembered one particular weekend when Tyra kept her at her apartment and didn’t let her go home to check her voicemail, apparently hoping she wouldn’t hear from Russell.

At the time, Kimora didn’t see it as her friend trying to help. She said she thought Tyra was “hating” and trying to get in the way of the relationship.

But looking back years later, Kimora says she understands what Tyra was actually doing. She now believes Tyra was trying to protect her.

Kimora and Russell eventually married in 1998 and welcomed two daughters, Ming and Aoki, before separating in 2006 and finalizing their divorce in 2009.

Kimora’s memory of the timeline has also drawn a response from Russell’s representative, who disputed the claim that she was 16 when they first met, saying they met in February 1993, when Kimora was 17.

Interestingly, this claim isn’t entirely new. In 2020, Simmons himself disputed the timeline on Instagram, saying Kimora “turned 18 right after” he met her during February fashion week. He also stated that her mother and manager approved of the relationship.

Still, Kimora’s story has her looking back on Tyra’s actions with a different perspective decades later.