Why did Kimora Lee Simmons get arrested in 2004 as mugshot emerges on Back In The Fab Lane?
Her attorney said it was 'an unfortunate incident'
The internet is gagging over Kimora Lee Simmons’ 2004 mugshot popping up on her new E! show Back In The Fab Lane, and honestly, it’s kind of iconic.
Fresh-faced, green tee, full smile… it’s giving booked and busy… literally.
But behind the now-viral photo is a very real run-in with the law that happened when she was still married to Russell Simmons and running Baby Phat at its peak.
So what actually went down back in the day, and how did it all end for Kimora? Let’s rewind the fab lane a little.
Kimora Lee Simmons has a mugshot?!
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Yes, she does. And it’s been living online for years.
The photo comes from a July 26, 2004, arrest in Saddle River, New Jersey. Kimora was stopped by local police near the Simmons family’s estate.
The mugshot shows her holding a Saddle River Police Department placard with the date and “Bergen County, NJ” clearly visible.
A New York Post report from the time stated that “she was spotted driving erratically and ignored a patrol car’s flashing lights for nearly two miles” before her arrest.
Now, with Back In The Fab Lane, Kimora is leaning in and revisiting the moment on camera, even joking about how “cute” the mugshot is in a sneak peek clip.
What happened in 2004?
Kimora Lee, arrested for possession of marijuana, 2004. pic.twitter.com/YjtFNt3Mmt
— $ (@2000sphase) January 25, 2022
In July 2004, Kimora Lee Simmons was stopped near her Saddle River, New Jersey home after police said she was driving erratically.
When the vehicle was searched, officers found a small amount of marijuana, which led to her being arrested and charged with eluding police, possession of marijuana, careless driving and operating a vehicle while in possession of a controlled substance.
The incident caused a stir at the time because Kimora was already a hugely recognisable figure. She was a former model, Baby Phat fashion powerhouse and married to hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, so the story went everywhere faster than her runway strut.
Fortunately for her, the legal drama didn’t drag on forever.
In 2005, Kimora entered a deal with prosecutors in Bergen County. She pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving and was accepted into a pre-trial intervention program designed for first-time non-violent offenders.
She received six months’ probation with the agreement that once successfully completed, the remaining charges would be dismissed, per British Vogue.
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