Aoki Lee Simmons Considers Quitting Modeling After Being Told She’s ‘Not Pretty Enough’

Kimora Lee Simmons ’ daughter Aoki is considering quitting her modeling career after facing ongoing comparisons to her mother and being told she is “not pretty enough.” The 22-year-old took to Instagram Live to share her negative experiences in the fashion industry.

“You go somewhere and get told over and over and over again, ‘No, no, you’re not pretty enough,’” she said in on the social media platform. “I think I’m probably wrapping up modeling soon.”

“I’m, like, getting a job in my degree field, but you know, while I’m still here, I should do my best. … I hope it doesn’t sound whiny,” she added.

Aoki shared she went to castings that she got rejected by castings that her mother got during her career as a supermodel.

“It just feels like one big, fat comparison all the time,” she said. “I get that my mom is always going to be a way better model than me, but it’s annoying to have that comparison sometimes. People are like, ‘It’d be so great to go to a casting that your mom did.’ And I’m like, [nodding], ‘No, it’s not. It’s awful because then when you don’t get it, it feels even more, like, [upsetting].’”

She concluded, “But, while I’m here, I’m gonna do my best!”

Aoki has been opened about received support and advice from her mother in the past.

“Since I started my career, my mom has given me a lot of helpful advice, but I also appreciate the amount of space she has given me to make my own way. She’s allowing me to figure it out,” she told Us Weekly in April 2024. “I’m excited for the opportunity to work as a full-time model. I like to be constantly surrounded by so many creative people and to have the opportunity to collaborate on this level is not something I take for granted. There is so much to learn in this business, so I’m staying flexible and enjoying the surprise of what comes.”

Aoki kicked off her modeling career as she entered Harvard University. She graduated in 2023 with a ​​dual degree in classics and political science, according to Teen Vogue .

As Blavity reported, she’s faced public scrutiny on several occasions. A couple years ago, she defended her decision to pursue modeling during her studies and called out some of her professors for not allowing her a flexible schedule as they would for other students pursuing careers like sports.

“Maybe because it’s Harvard, but certain professors will hear ‘modeling’ and laugh in your face. It’s always nerve-wracking explaining why you need an absence for work,” she wrote in an Instagram Story at the time. “But some won’t even discuss it, whether you are willing to zoom in, write an extra paper, turn the homework in earlier, whatever. Some won’t even try to meet you halfway.”

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