Being a teen on social media is tough. Though when you’re the daughter of not one but two celebrity parents, the internet can be doubly grueling and sometimes, downright cruel.
Aoki Lee, the 15-year-old daughter of Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons, recently opened up about online trolls and dealing with anxiety over being what people considered “not as pretty” as her 18-year-old sister, Ming Lee. The youngest Simmons made an emotional statement on her Instagram stories sharing how she felt insecure about her appearance.
“I used to be very picky about pictures and not really show my face and would often not post pictures of cool events or important moments because I didn’t like my smile or I was standing next to my beautiful sister,” she shared in the since expired message, as E! News reports. “It’s easy to get insecure when your sister and mom are models.”
Nowadays, however, she just wants her pics to reflect the times where she’s happy.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of negativity on Instagram, comments saying I’m not as pretty as my big sister (who is the best by the way),” she added. “We all want to look nice in our photos but I’ve tried to let all of that go and just post pictures where I look happy or was actually having a good time. I try not to worry who I’m standing next to and just share good moments with you guys.”
Ming, who recently graduated from high school, reposted her little sister’s message, saying, “I literally aspire to be my sister.”
Currently, the Simmons sisters and their mom are living their best lives in Greece.