Aoki Lee Simmons, 21, and Vittorio Assaf, 65, CONFIRM romance with a steamy kiss during PDA-filled getaway to St. Barts amid backlash over their 44-year age gap

Aoki Lee Simmons, 21, enjoyed frolicking in the sand with her rumored boyfriend Vittorio Assaf, 65 during a recent vacation in the Caribbean. 

The BCBG model showcased her lithe form in a multi-colored string bikini in shades of orange, green and red, with a matching bandeau top.

She appeared makeup-free and wore her long dark hair in natural curls around her shoulders. 

The cover model accessorized with a thin gold chain around her neck. 

Meanwhile, the restaurateur, who is 44 years her senior, sported a pair of blue and white swim trunks.  

He accessorized with long chunky white gold chain. His salt and pepper hair was combed back from his face. 

It’s unclear how long the two have been dating. 

A source close to the model told People, ‘Aoki and Vittorio are spending time together and enjoying each others’ company.’ 

The Serafina restaurant chain co-founder seemed to enjoy using his phone to snap pictures of his lady love, documenting their romantic trip on the island of St. Barts, which is reportedly a favorite destination for the Simmons family.

The celebrity hideaway is a favorite of luminaries such as Paul McCartney and Paris Hilton who recently enjoyed trips there. 

The tiny French-speaking island is located east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The tiny island boasts only nine square miles of area, but it’s home to 22 white-sand beaches and the pair enjoyed taking a dip in the sapphire blue and turquoise waters.

The couple seemed to be trying to keep their relationship quiet.

Neither has shared photos of the other on social media, although recent posts confirm they were both in St. Barts. 

The pair seemed quite enraptured with each other and seemed to have a difficult time keeping their lips to themselves. 

But as word of the romance got out, Aoki seemed to address it in Instagram Stories writing,’Errr well now I know why folks were calling me.’ 

The St. Barts visitors guide reports April to June is the best time to visit and December to March is the peak of tourist season. 

The area features beautiful coral reefs and hiking for those looking for adventure. 

The island also has lots of high end shopping, including stores for Cartier and Louis Vuitton.

The runway beauty seemed to enjoy splashing in the warm waters as the waves rolled toward the shore. 

Aoki is the daughter of music mogul Russell Simmons, 66, and designer Kimora Lee Simmons, 48. 

She has had a rocky relationship with her father and called him out for his alleged abusive behavior in June 2023 on social media.

The posts have since been deleted. 

In an interview with Teen Vogue in September of that year, the Harvard grad said she had no regrets. 

‘Part of it was already out there. There were reasons I thought it was reasonable to publish, because it was playing out in, like, a silent bubble.’ 

Aoki has been modeling since she was a child, wearing looks from her family’s Baby Phat line as well as Just Fab.

She made her runway debut in 2021 for Pyer Moss Paris Couture. Since then, the in-demand muse has been a cover model for several publications, including Rollercoaster, Flaunt and Teen Vogue.

Vittorio was married for 20 years to model Charlotte Bonstrom, 52. The marriage ended when the Swedish-American beauty left him for another man, her twin sister’s ex-husband Thierry Gillier.

The former couple share two children, Vittorio Jr., 21,  and Valentina, 17.