Former Goldman Sachs star banker Tim Leissner confessed to committing fraud following his attempt to marry ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons.
The 52-year-old said he falsified divorce documents from two different women in addition to marrying the BabyPhat founder. However, Bloomberg reported that he was still legally married to his previous wife after exchanging vows with Simmons.
Leissner made the shocking revelation while testifying in a Brooklyn federal court on Thursday during a bribery trial against his former Goldman Sachs colleague, Roger Ng.
Simmons, the ex-wife of hip-hop legend Russell Simmons, thought she married the German-born businessman in 2014.
While the investment banker “faked” his divorce to his then-wife, Judy Chan Leissner, to marry the former fashion model, he also told jurors that he manipulated divorce documents to marry Judy Chan in Hong Kong in 2000.
“I photoshopped the divorce document,” he said during the trial.
“Did Judy Chan know?” asked prosecutor Drew Rolle. “Yes,” he said.
“Did Kimora Lee Simmons know that?” Rolle asked.
“No,” Leissner said.
In 2014, Leissner wanted to purchase a new home for the 46-year-old in Los Angeles that required a $900,000 down payment. However, he said, “Judy did not want to make any transfers related to my new family life in Los Angeles.”
Alternatively, he faked an email claiming that the money was for Malaysian financier Jho Low, the fugitive wanted for his role in the orchestrated 1MDB scheme.
“It didn’t work,” with Chan, he said. “I think she did some research on the Internet and found out I was trying to buy this house.”
In 2020, Simmons and Leissner welcomed their first child together, son Wolfe Lee Leissner.
“We are filled with joy, adoration and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our son,” the former couple told People Magazine in a statement.
Leissner admitted to defrauding hundreds of millions of dollars from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB while testifying that he allegedly stole tens of millions of dollars from his accomplices in the fraud, per Bloomberg.
