Talk:Kimora Lee Simmons

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Shunned by black Americans?[edit]

No references were provided, has she specifically suggested that it happened when growing up? Biracial children have almost always been accepted as simply African American in the black community, its highly disengenuous to simply claim she was shunned without providing references. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.54.54.115 (talk) 16:21, 6 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]


As per http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-09-09-kimora-lee_x.htm , she is half Japanese and half black. Mariana 09:22, 19 July 2005 (UTC)[reply]

She also was featured in a cover story of EBONY Magazine not so long ago, along with her husband, hiphop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons. In the article she details how she met her husband, along with the fact that she considers herself to be a black woman. Jalabi99 15:10, 3 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As per http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/9306/index2.html, this article strongly suggests she is actually Korean, not Japanese

I think that this page said that she is 1/4 Japanese 1/4 Korean and half black some time ago. Her name "Kimora" certainly sounds very Japanese. 68.80.241.179 22:28, 18 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It appears to be related to the Japanese Surname "Kimura" and the Traditional Japanese "Kimono". 71.237.89.166
She is half Japanese. She has said this in interviews. That, along with the fact that her, and her daughter's, name is Japanese seems to confirm it. --130.216.191.184 03:25, 14 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Even though many people feel they do not know If she is half what percent of what Asian race is minor compared to the fact all these baby name websites have claimed her name as a non Asian name. When clearly she is Asian, her kids have Asian names and Kimora is 100% an Asian sounding name. It is a disgrace for these baby name websites to outright lie and say the name is of English origin, anyone who believes that is delirious.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.237.89.166 (talk • contribs) 11:21, 27 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In my opinion, she doesn't look half Japanese half Black. She just looks like a tall Cambodian or Vietnamese woman. 75.17.14.39 22:27, 27 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the Asian half of Kimora's ethinicity is a mystery. Kimora's mother, Joanne Perkins, was a Korean war orphan, adopted by a US servicemen in Korea. That is undisputable, meaning that she was born in Korea, not Japan. Where it gets confusing is that Joanne Perkins claims that her mother was Japanese, (which also implies that her father wasn't Japanese.) What Kimora believes is meaningless in terms of her ethinicity, because all of her beliefs and identity about her ethinic heritage would come from her mother. So her having Japanese name or her kids having Japanese names doesn't confirm that she is half Japanese. All it demonstrates is that Kimora was told by her mother that her maternal grandmother was Japanese.

The person who has the answer is Joanne Perkins. In some ways, even Joanne Perkins may not know the truth. Korea was a war ravaged country that was coming out of 35 years of Japanese rule. During the Japanese rule of Korea, Koreans were viewed as 2nd class Japanese citizens and upper class Koreans "embraced" being Japanese for social status. At the end of the Japanese rule, many of these Koreans became targets of other Koreans for being traitors or Japanese collaborators. The point of this is that bottom line, it was a confusing time for Koreans. Some koreans lied about being Japanese. Some Koreans lied about being Japanese sympathizers all the while still holding on to superiority complex of being Japanese. On top of that, a war broke out, leaving thousands of kids as orphans, left to fend for themselves. It is during this time that Joanne Perkins was found in Korea and adopted by a US serviceman. It is possible that Joanne Perkins did have a Japanese mother. It is possible that Joanne Perkins was simply a Korean girl, who created an imaginary scenario to cope with the times.. All of these is not a value judgement of Kimora or her mother. It doesn't make them better or worse because they are Japanese or Korean. I find it just ironic that there exists a possibility that Kimora and her kids (with Japanese names) may not even be Japanese.


i think the article is missing a link to the report for when she got pulled over Curefreak

The reporting on the arrest is inaccurate. There was no cocaine involved. I will include the link to the CNN article and remove the super dooper erroneous date

This article is not precisely in neutral tone, and could be cleaned up some. I removed some colloquialism from the "other media" portion of the article.

Is This Her Press Bio Page?[edit]

Sure looks like it. In fact, major portions have apparently been lifted from her bio page at kls.com. Compare to: Kimora Lee Simmons: The First Lady of Hip-Hop Scarletsmith 01:14, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Pic?[edit]

Out of her illustrious career the pic you choose is one of her at 14 years of age. WTF? There has to be a better one out there somewhere. AD Double J 22:22, 4 November 2007 (UTC)[reply] 

Can someone please add a more appropriate pic for her on Wikipedia. thank you.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.195.16.74 (talk) 05:38, 24 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Her parents are both named the same thing?[edit]

"Her parents are Japanese mother Joanne Perkins (who now goes by the Japanese name "Kyoko") and African-American father Vernon Whitlock Jr. Joanne (who was adopted by an American serviceman during the Korean War and renamed Joanne Perkins)" Her parents were BOTH named Joanne Perkins? wtf? This is very poorly written. Shinku Hisaki (talk) 23:42, 25 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

no references?[edit]

is it just me or is the "references" or "footnotes" section for this page missing? --Jennyanydots 18:19, 3 December 2007 (UTC)no way[reply]

she is the executive director of all Phat fashion —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.85.220.10 (talk) 21:55, 11 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Kimora Lee, Half Japanese, 1/4th Japanese and 1/4th Korean or Half Korean?[edit]

How can she be Japanese? I am Japanese myself, I have never heard of a name like Kimora. Her surname is Lee, which is a typical Korean surname. Also her face is a typical Korean face. I don't know why she want to be called Japanese as she is definitely no Japanese. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.100.181.113 (talk) 23:12, 30 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]


From an American perspective, I don't think it would matter much since Kimora is 1/2 black and 1/2 Asian. But for accuracy sakes, I want to discuss this topic.

According to this article, http://nymag.com/nymetro/shopping/fashion/features/9306/index2.html,

Kimora's mother, Joanne Perkins, was born in Korea. She was adopted by a US serviceman during the Korean War, in Korea (Inchon to be exact). Joanne Perkins claimed that her mother (that would be Kimora's maternal grandmother) was a full-blooded Japanese who came to Korea as a refugee during World War II from Kyoto. This implies that Joanne Perkins' father (Kimora's maternal grandfather) is Korean. So Kimora Lee can't be half Japanese At most, she is 1/4 Japanese, 1/4 Korean and half African-American.

But let's think about Joanne Perkins' claim that she is half Japanese. I find that hard to believe. As the article points out, Joanne Perkins' mother being Japanese would be highly unusual given the history and circumstance between Japan and Korea around the time of WWII and the Korean War. I am Korean American and based on my discussions with my grandparents who lived through that time, some Koreans falsely bragged that they were partially Japanese or were educated in Japan or had relatives in Japan, somewhat similar to a black person who might tried to prop themselves up by claiming to be partially white or from some other exotic background.

I don't care what Kimora's true ethnic heritage is. Whether or not she is Japanese, Korean or both doesn't make her a better or worse person. I just find it amusing, that if in fact, Kimora doesn't have any Japanese blood in her, it is just ironic that she has a Japanese name and her kids have Japanese names. Plus, she gets to use the whole Japanese heritage as part of her marketing because Americans are more familiar with Japan and its culture than Korea. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.245.238.249 (talk) 23:20, 21 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Uh... I think it's pretty stupid to assume that she's a quarter Korean just because her grandmother was an ethnic Japanese who moved to Korea. I myself have a father who was born and raised in Saigon but is full Chinese (his parents are both right out of Guangdong). So in other words, he is and grew up with Hoa. He knows tons of people who are just like him, and they married to full Chinese as well. Just because they're Chinese who are born and raised in Vietnam doesn't mean they have to marry Vietnamese. So I don't get what you're saying: just because her grandmother was Japanese born and raised in Korea means she had to marry a Korean man?
You later contradict yourself by saying it is ironic that she has a Japanese name and her kids have Japanese names. See, if that's the case... then shouldn't she really be half Japanese?
And Americans are more familiar with Japan and its culture. I can tell you why. First off, half of Korea is wrecked by Communism (their leader is eating the best lobsters and drinking the finest wines while his people are starving and dying on the streets). Secondly, they have less population than Japan. Google says that Korea has around 46 million people in their country, while Japan has 127 million.
I think that this is a really close-minded comment. Lady Galaxy 00:25, 8 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Your ignorance and inability to logically think are astounding. First of all, just based on your comments alone, you know nothing about Korea and Japan. Chinese immigrating to Vietnam doesn't mean that Japanese immigrated to Korea at similar rate, especially at the end of World War II. A full blooded Japanese orphan in Inchon during the Korean war is about as rare as Martian life on earth.

Second, the fact that she has a Japanese name and her kids also Japanese name mean nothing. If I mistakenly thought I was Irish and starting using a Irish last name, does that make me Irish? That's what you seem to suggest. I have no issue with Kimora Lee. She has no first hand experience of either Japan or Korea. All her link is through her mother. The problem I might have is with Joanne Perkins, who is most likely Korean and by her own insistence, 1/2 Japanese at the most. To me, it's sad to see someone fooling themselves, especially about their ethinic background. In fairness to her, it's possible that her own mother may have misled Joanne Perkins before she became an orphan. But please, comment on something you have a first hand knowledge of. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.245.238.249 (talk) 21:52, 17 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Your ignorance and inability to logically think are astounding.
Says the person who comments anonymously. Right...
You're right that I don't know much about Korea and Japan. I'm Chinese, not Korean or Japanese. I only know a few basic bare facts.
I'm not going to argue with someone that doesn't even want to sign up for a Wikipedia account.
And well... the sources say that she's Japanese and not Korean, so that's just what it is. Lady Galaxy 00:06, 29 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have known friends and acquaintances who are Vietnamese, Cambodian, Singaporean who are full blooded Chinese. That has nothing to do with the historical and cultural context behind the issue of Kimora's ethnicity. If you don't know the historical context behind why NYMag article and editors in this talk page all are stating that Kimora's most likely not Japanese, please ask questions or defer to those who are informed. Claiming Kimora's grandmother was a Kyoto refugee during WWII is like saying an Englishmen from London fled London during the American War of Independence to Boston... or saying that a Ming Chinese fled to Manchuria when the Manchus conquered Ming China. It's entirely unbelievable. The NYMag articles states this rather subtely with grace for obvious reasons. In any case, what's most relevant is that the NYMag already implies this in their article which makes this appropriate for inclusion in the text of the article per WP:CIT.Melonbarmonster2 (talk) 08:12, 20 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't even get the discussion or argument anymore, but a quick Google (and IMDB) says she is half Japanese and half Korean. Are we missing something? Well, whatever, it's already been removed from the article and now simply states she is "half Asian" with a mom who "used a Japanese name". ★Dasani★ 02:41, 3 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In her book Fabulousity she stated that she was 1/2 black and half mixed-Asian, her mother being Korean and Japanese. So I'm changing it to half Asian and stating that her mother is indeed Korean and Japanese, and have it cited. Jeez, I can't believe this has been going on when the truth would've already squashed such a dumb argument. Ahmanni (talk) 04:08, 6 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's not that unlikely that she is just as Japanese as she is Korean. In fact, that makes more sense as to why her mother was abandoned in Korea. There are tons of "halfus" all over, even *gasp* in Japan itself. Anyone who has half a brain (that they actually use) should be able to figure out that Japan has had just as much a history or mixing as any other country, even if it was mostly Asian + Asian.

What I don't get is why she named one of her daughters "Ming," since that is obviously neither Japanese or Korean. But anyway, that's besides the point. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nzaphnix (talk • contribs) 10:59, 25 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I just watched an episode of her television show, the episode where she did a fashion show live in NYC Times Square. They had a contest for people to get into the show and one of the trivia questions is, "What is Kimora Lee Simmons ethnicity" and the answer was Korean/Black/Japanese. I keep reading all the debt on here, and like most of the information about a FULL blooded Japanese being in Korea during the War is HIGHLY unlikely, especially back then since Korean's HATED Japanese (vice versa). The only conclusion I can come to is that her mother is Zainichi (Korean ethnically but Japanese residential). Zainichi Korean's back then assumed the Japanese lifestyle, Japanese names, customs and traditions and lived as Japanese and said they were Japanese. Zainichi Korean's never revealed back then that they were ethnically Korean except to other Zainichi Koreans. If anything her mother probably returned to Korea and the little information on her was probably about her Japanese "side". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hangshimkim (talk • contribs) 16:43, 14 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I thought exactly the same. Apparently though, Japan had conquered Korea for a very short amount of time. Her mother happened to be born in Korea of full Japanese descent. In a very rare case, Kimora's maternal grandmother was forced to move to Korea from Japan as a refugee. New York Magazine cites this is an extremely uncommon occurrence, but I guess that's what happened to Kimora's mom. To make things even more complicated, she was abandoned shortly after birth and raised by white Americans. I'm full Chinese but know the three East Asian ethnicities extremely well, and she looks pure Japanese. 108.93.72.117 (talk) 00:40, 22 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Occupation?[edit]

On the theme song of Life In The Fab Lane, she says that she is the creative director of Phat Fashions. I noticed her page only says that she is the CEO of Baby Phat. Should that information be changed? 68DANNY2 (talk) 20:36, 21 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Her third child?[edit]

I've seen the photos and reports about her being pregnant about two months or so back, but I noticed that in her recent photos from NY Fashion Week Spring '09, her baby belly is gone. Has anyone seen news about the birth of her third child? Ahmanni (talk) 04:11, 6 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Religion?[edit]

It might be a minor detail, but does she have any religious beliefs? It could be interesting to mention. Atthom (talk) 04:58, 13 March 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Citation style[edit]

It appears my attempt to unify the citation style on this page was not well received. May I ask what the preferred citation style is for this page? It appears it is currently using several different styles. Thanks! Plastikspork (talk) 18:56, 18 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Idealy, citations should be in the format <ref>Reference here</ref>, and using one of the citation templates, like {{cite web}} or {{cite news}}.--Unionhawk Talk E-mail 20:48, 18 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
WP:CITE: "The use of citation templates is neither encouraged nor discouraged." Gimmetrow 21:09, 18 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Please both refer to 30 discussion at Talk:Sean Combs. Thanks. Redheylin (talk) 23:46, 19 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It appears a typo was introduced in this edit. And we are now removing existing citation templates? Plastikspork (talk) 03:55, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You made a fuss about "several different style". Therefore, following existing majority style. Gimmetrow 04:00, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I thought we were still deciding on the citation style? It does not appear a consensus has been reached. Should I put in a for a RFC? Plastikspork (talk) 04:08, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If you wish to make this even more confrontational, that might be your next move, but I wouldn't recommend it. Gimmetrow 04:13, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, I didn't realize requesting outside comment was confrontational. I am trying to reach a consensus here. Thanks! Plastikspork (talk) 04:18, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I retracted my earlier comment as you are correct that the majority of the references were not using a citation template. Sorry if English is not my first language. Plastikspork (talk) 04:49, 21 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Kimora[edit]

[text removed]. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.55.126.55 (talk) 19:36, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See [1]. The text above was word-for-word identical with text from another site. I'm going to assume the posting was meant as a suggestion that the content should be in the article. I disagree. Wikipedia is not a rap sheet. We don't need to record minor traffic incidents of the sort common to celebrities. Gimmetrow 20:06, 8 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

fave fan kimberlicastaneda[edit]

you are the best and i have seen lots of your shows on dish —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.237.111.1 (talk) 22:55, 6 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

GOITER?[edit]

I read that Kimora suffers from GOITER ( A THYROID CONDITION THAT MAKES THE NECK SWELL UP)? IS THIS TRUE? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.180.111.254 (talk) 23:09, 18 December 2010 (UTC)[reply]


When she met Russell Simmons[edit]

Article on Russell Simmons says "Simmons met then-17-year-old, model Kimora Lee in November 1992" while this article says "Lee met Russell Simmons in November 1996 during New York City's Fashion Week. She was 17..." These seem to be in conflict. Can someone clarify or correct with citations? Oswald Glinkmeyer (talk) 11:14, 6 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

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