Kimora Lee Simmons has now spoken out about the online disapproval from fans who said the 20-year-old was making a mistake because she was “articulate” to consider working in fashion

Aoki has already spoken out to the criticism on TikTok, saying “models aren’t uneducated and not articulate,” as she further asked why people had taken issue with her choice of wanting to dive deeper into the world of modeling while still being devoted to her studies. In a new interview with People, Kimora jumped to her daughter’s defense by saying that “it’s important to explore all your passions” in life, adding that she fully supports Aoki’s career path.

“I love it that she’s trying to follow in my footsteps. But also I think it’s a pain because if I had had some of what they have, maybe I wouldn’t have been a model,” the 47-year-old mother of five expressed. “Whereas she says, ‘Mom, you should be proud.’ It’s like aspirational, this is what people want to do also. And I just feel like sometimes you don’t want your kids to face hardships. I think that’s what any mom would say, right?”