NEWSKimora Lee Simmons Says Custody Request in Tim Leissner Divorce Was a Filing Error
Kimora Lee Simmons denied reports about giving up custody.
July 25 2026, Published 6:38 a.m. ET
Kimora Lee Simmons is pushing back on reports that she asked a court to give her estranged husband, Tim Leissner, primary custody of their 11-year-old son, Wolfe.
The confusion began after Simmons filed a response to Leissner’s divorce petition. TMZ initially reported that the Life in the Fab Lane alum had requested that Leissner receive primary legal and physical custody. The outlet later learned the custody request was a clerical error, and Simmons has had primary custody of Wolfe since 2020.
She said the disputed court filing resulted from a clerical error.
When Early Filings Get Misread
Legal experts explained how paperwork mistakes can mislead headlines.
“Celebrity custody headlines love drama, but the media routinely misreads early court paperwork,” said Claire Banks of Spodek Law Group, who is not involved in the case.
“In reality, initial filings rely heavily on standardized forms where a simple administrative typo or a misplaced checkmark can completely twist a parent’s position on paper. A checked box on page three isn't a dramatic surrender of parental rights; it's usually just a routine clerical mistake that gets quietly fixed with an amended filing,” Banks explained.
“If you want to know whether a real custody battle is actually happening, ignore the initial forms,” she added. “Look for emergency motions, detailed sworn affidavits, or a judge ordering a forensic evaluation — that’s where the real fight lives.”
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A Divorce With Competing Support Requests
The divorce included competing requests over spousal support.
Simmons and Leissner married in 2014 and legally separated in 2022. Leissner filed for divorce in April, seeking joint legal and physical custody of Wolfe. He also requested spousal support from Simmons and asked the court to terminate her ability to receive alimony from him.
Simmons’ response took the opposite position on support. She asked the court to block any possibility of her paying Leissner support and requested that he pay spousal support to her instead. She also asked that Leissner cover her legal fees in the divorce.
Kimora Lee Simmons’ ex-husband remained incarcerated during the ongoing proceedings.
Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs executive, signed the divorce paperwork on February 4, two days before surrendering to a Pennsylvania federal facility. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges connected to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad controversy and is expected to remain incarcerated until late September 2027.
Simmons, who was previously married to Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons from 1998 to 2009, has four children. Along with Wolfe, she shares daughters Ming, 26, and Aoki, 23, with Russell, and son Kenzo, 17, with actor Djimon Hounsou.
