Kimora Lee Simmons is back in the spotlight — but this time, it’s not about fashion or reality TV. Instead, she’s entangled in a major legal fight connected to one of the biggest financial scandals in recent history.
According to The New York Post, the controversy revolves around a $25 million Beverly Hills mansion located at 25 Beverly Park Circle. The sprawling seven-bedroom estate sits on about 3.7 acres and was purchased in 2017 by Simmons’ estranged husband, former Goldman Sachs executive Tim Leissner.
During sworn testimony at a 2022 federal trial in Brooklyn, Tim Leissner admitted that the Beverly Hills estate was purchased using money misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund at the center of a massive global fraud scandal.
“I bought the property… with $25 million that had been stolen from the Malaysian people,” Leissner stated under oath while cooperating in the prosecution of his former colleague, Roger Ng.
Leissner pleaded guilty in 2018 to conspiracy and bribery charges tied to 1MDB and was later sentenced in May 2025 to two years in federal prison. Authorities have since recovered more than $1.4 billion in assets connected to the scheme, though not every property linked to the case was reclaimed.
The Beverly Hills mansion remains one of the notable properties not seized.
Court records indicate that in November 2020, Leissner’s holding company transferred ownership of the estate to entities associated with billionaire real estate investors David and Simon Reuben after a refinancing deal reportedly collapsed. Under the agreement, Leissner and Simmons were expected to pay roughly $67,000 per month in rent to stay in the home.
However, filings in the ongoing civil case claim that no rent or mortgage payments have been made since that deal. Simmons has contested the legitimacy of the sale, arguing it occurred without her proper consent. In legal documents, she alleges her signature on certain paperwork was secured through “misrepresentation and abuse of trust.”
The legal battle — involving cross-claims between Simmons, Leissner, Keyway Pride LLC, and the current ownership entities — is now entering its fifth year, with a trial-setting conference slated for late February.
There are no claims that Simmons had any involvement in or knowledge of the 1MDB fraud. Instead, the dispute focuses on property rights, refinancing terms, and whether the transfer of ownership was legally valid.
The mansion has previously been featured in exterior shots of Simmons’ E! reality series Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane, where she jokes in a promotional clip, “My name is Kimora, and I am a hoarder — but a luxury hoarder,” while showing off a collection of nearly 700 designer handbags.
