Kimora Lee Simmons has always lived a life threaded with fashion, family, resilience and a kind of fame that demanded she grow thicker skin than most. But behind the image of the glamorous mogul and reality TV star lies a softer truth: she is someone who cares deeply, protects fiercely and holds on to the people she loves long after the world stops watching. That loyalty is perhaps most visible in the way she continues to honor and care for the children of her late friend Kim Porter, years after Porter’s passing and the public turmoil that unfolded around their father, Sean “Diddy” Combs. For Simmons, the relationship is not symbolic or distant — it is lived, daily, and profoundly real.
When she talks about Porter’s twin daughters, Jessie and D’Lila, there’s an unmistakable tenderness in her voice, a protective warmth that speaks to history, memory and an almost maternal sense of responsibility. These girls, who turn 19 soon, have been part of Simmons’ world since the moment they entered it — literally. She was in the delivery room when they were born, and from that moment onward, an invisible thread tied their lives together. Not just a friendship. A chosen family bond that has only strengthened through heartbreak and upheaval.
The twins have endured more than most teenagers could ever imagine. In 2018, they lost their mother unexpectedly when Kim Porter died of pneumonia at just 47. The tragedy marked the first seismic shift in their young lives, leaving behind a void that no one could fill but everyone around them has tried to soften. Simmons, in many ways, stepped in instinctively — not to replace Porter, because that would be impossible, but to ensure the children Porter adored would never feel alone. She talks to them constantly, sometimes multiple times a day. Their houses are within walking distance of each other, allowing for spontaneous visits, shared meals, check-ins and the kind of casual closeness that only neighbors with deep emotional ties can maintain. It’s as if Simmons keeps a watchful eye on them without ever making it feel intrusive or obligatory.
But the loss of their mother was only the beginning of a long, public and painful journey. In 2024, their father became the center of a highly publicized federal criminal case that dominated global headlines. Sean Combs was arrested and later tried on charges that included sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. It was an intense, emotionally exhausting period, especially for his children, who were thrust into the spotlight in ways none of them asked for. Jessie and D’Lila were often seen at the Manhattan courthouse, their young faces tense yet composed as they supported their father. They even celebrated their high school graduation in the midst of the trial, a bittersweet milestone overshadowed by legal chaos and emotional uncertainty.
In July, a jury found Combs guilty on one of the charges. By October, he was sentenced to 50 months in prison. It was another overwhelming shift for the teens, another layer of emotional strain in a life already punctured by loss. Throughout this difficult period, Simmons remained steady — a constant emotional anchor for the girls, someone they could talk to, confide in, lean on. She understood that what they needed wasn’t sympathy, but stability, reassurance and love that asked for nothing in return.
What makes Simmons’ involvement so meaningful is that she doesn’t view her presence in their lives as charity or an obligation left behind by a departed friend. These children are, to her, simply part of her ever-growing family. Simmons is a mother of five: Ming and Aoki, now young adults; teenagers Kenzo and Gary; and little Wolfe, whose energy and curiosity fill her days. She also has a “bonus son,” Jayden, a former schoolmate of her sons who moved in and became part of the household. It’s already a bustling family, full of different ages, personalities and needs. And yet to Simmons, making room for Porter’s children was not an addition — it was a continuation of a bond forged long before tragedy struck.
She sees the same light in Jessie and D’Lila that she once saw in their mother: a quiet confidence, a fierce sense of self, an undeniable beauty. They’re stepping into young adulthood with dreams similar to Porter’s — fashion, modeling, artistry and creative expression. Simmons beams with pride when she talks about their ambitions, describing them as gorgeous, talented and bearing the unmistakable spark of the woman who gave birth to them. In them, she sees Kim Porter alive and present, influencing the world through her children’s potential. Helping them nurture that potential is her way of making sure Porter’s legacy doesn’t fade with time.
But Simmons’ loyalty extends in every direction. Porter’s older children — Christian “King” Combs and Quincy Brown — are also woven into her extended family circle. She doesn’t draw lines between the younger kids and the adults. To her, age is not a barrier to care. A grown man is still someone’s child, still capable of hurting, still deserving of support. She treats them all the same, offering them the kind of unconditional acceptance that makes her home feel like a sanctuary.
There’s something deeply human about Simmons’ approach. It lacks pretense or performance, despite her celebrity status. Many public figures talk about being there for others, but Simmons actually shows up — quietly, consistently, without broadcasting it for validation. Her relationship with Porter’s children isn’t a headline or a brand, but a promise made long ago that she continues to honor.
Beyond the children, Simmons has also taken in another living reminder of Porter: her beloved black Pomeranian, Callie. The dog is a link to the past, a tiny heartbeat carrying pieces of Porter’s memory. Simmons laughs softly as she explains that Callie was likely inspired by Zoe, her own famously featured Pomeranian from “Life in the Fab Lane,” who later became the model for a Barbie dog. The idea that Porter once saw Zoe and decided to get her own fluffy companion makes caring for Callie feel symbolic, comforting and almost serendipitous. It’s a small but meaningful responsibility that Simmons embraces wholeheartedly. Callie, like the children, is cherished, protected and welcomed.
All of this paints a portrait of Kimora Lee Simmons that transcends the polished public image most people recognize. It shows a woman shaped not just by success or fame but by love, loyalty and a deep sense of community. Her friendship with Kim Porter was not something that ended with Porter’s death; instead, it evolved into a long-term commitment to the people Porter loved most. Caring for Porter’s children, guiding them through grief and challenge, celebrating their victories and holding space for their pain — these are acts of devotion that go far beyond the call of friendship.
Honoring someone’s memory is not always grand gestures or public tributes. It is often small, everyday acts — answering the phone late at night, showing up unasked, offering warmth when life feels cold. Simmons does all of that for Porter’s children with a natural ease that comes from decades of love and shared history.
In a world where celebrity narratives often focus on scandal, rivalry or superficial connections, this story stands out for its authenticity. It’s the kind of quiet, enduring love that doesn’t demand attention but deserves it — a story of a woman who refused to let tragedy unravel the ties that once bound two families together.
Simmons keeps Porter alive not through nostalgia but through action: by raising the children she watched grow up, by cheering for their dreams, by protecting them from the noise of the world, by reminding them that they are not defined by loss or by their father’s legal battles. And by caring for Callie, the little Pomeranian who is another small reminder of the life Porter once lived.
Kim Porter’s influence lingers in the laughter of her children, in their hopes, in their beauty, in the legacy they carry every day. And thanks to Simmons, that influence remains nurtured, honored and protected. It lives in the way Simmons opens her home, her heart and her time to them. It lives in her constant presence, her unwavering loyalty and the belief that family is not always built by blood but sometimes by love, loyalty and shared history.
In caring for Porter’s children and the memories attached to them, Simmons proves that some friendships transcend life itself. They continue through the people left behind, through acts of kindness, through the commitment to protect and uplift. It is easy to be a friend when life is smooth, but true friendship reveals itself in the hardest moments — and that is where Simmons shines the brightest.
Her devotion speaks to who she is at her core: a mother, a friend, a protector and a keeper of legacies. And through every conversation with the twins, every reassuring word, every dream she helps them pursue, and every moment she spends with Porter’s beloved dog, she ensures that Kim Porter’s presence is still felt every day.
In doing so, Simmons has created a beautiful truth: Kim Porter may no longer be here, but her love remains alive — not just in memories, but in the people who refuse to let her legacy fade.
