Kimora Lee is bringing some of the most difficult and complicated chapters of her life to the screen.
The Baby Phat founder is the focus of a new Lifetime documentary, Kimora Lee: On Her Own, which follows her journey from teenage fashion star to successful mogul and mother while also delving into the personal and legal challenges she has faced along the way. In the first trailer, obtained by People, Lee makes it clear that the glamorous image associated with her life only tells part of the story.
“Here’s the thing about my life,” Lee says as old footage from her modeling days plays. “It was glamorous. I was the youngest model in the history of Chanel.” The trailer then takes a much darker turn as she adds, “I’ve seen the monsters.”
That contrast has remained a defining part of a life that accelerated at an extraordinary pace while Lee was still a teenager. She entered modeling at 13 and became closely linked to Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel before eventually transitioning from the runway into the business world.
Baby Phat, the fashion label she helped develop into one of the defining brands of the early 2000s, took Lee’s profile beyond modeling and made her a household name.
Her personal life was also playing out in the public eye. Lee met Russell Simmons when she was 16, while he was in his 30s. The two eventually married in 1998, welcomed daughters Ming and Aoki, and worked together as Baby Phat continued to grow.
Their marriage ended in divorce in 2009, but their relationship has remained contentious. Simmons has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied, and later sued Lee over a dispute involving Celsius stock.
“It’s been a painful ride,” Lee says in the documentary trailer. In another emotional moment, she breaks down in tears and says, “I’m just asking that you leave us alone.”
The documentary comes as Lee enters another significant chapter in her life. She recently legally removed Simmons from her name, returning to Kimora Lee. Her representative said the decision is “rooted in a commitment to clarity and ownership,” adding that Lee is focused on “protecting her family, building a legacy, and moving forward with grace and power.”
That focus on ownership also reflects comments Lee recently made while looking back on her fashion career with Refinery29. She emphasized how directly involved she was in Baby Phat, saying, “I went to work every day. I made these clothes. I made this collection. I worked with my designers.”
Reflecting on the brand’s impact, she added, “What we created … was a lifestyle. It was a movement.”
At the same time, Lee’s other marriage is officially coming to an end. Former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner filed for divorce from Lee earlier this year, requesting spousal support and asking that she cover his legal expenses. Leissner, who shares son Wolfe with Lee, is currently serving a two-year federal prison sentence for his involvement in the massive 1MDB financial scandal. The couple had reportedly been separated since at least 2022.
Lee has also been raising sons Kenzo and Gary alongside Wolfe and daughters Ming and Aoki, frequently emphasizing motherhood and independence as important parts of her life away from the spotlight.
On Her Own brings all of these chapters together under a title that reflects the place Lee says she finds herself today.
“When life gives you coal,” she says at the end of the trailer, “press it into a diamond.”
Kimora Lee: On Her Own premieres September 20 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
