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Find out the touching story of how Lionel Richie—father of Nicole Richie, Miles Ritchie and Sofia Richie Grainge—became a dad in the first place and much more.
How Lionel Richie Has Already Formed a Strong Bond With Sofia Richie's Baby Boy Henry
For Lionel Richie, there came a time when he heeded a certain call.
The call came at a Prince concert in 1984, when the Grammy winner and first wife Brenda Harvey were struck by a 3-year-old girl playing tambourine onstage, seemingly by herself.
The child was Nicole Camille Escovedo, daughter of musicians Pete Escovedo and his ex-girlfriend Karen Moss. And both Lionel and Barbara felt Nikki, as everyone called her, would be better off living with them while her parents figured themselves out.
"Clearly, they loved her and were trying hard," Lionel recalled in his 2025 memoir Truly, "but it was an uncertain time."
He and Brenda became Nikki's foster parents, then her legal guardians and, when she was 9, her adoptive parents. And with that, the child who became Nicole Richie taught Lionel what endless love really meant.
Which didn't mean being once, twice, three times a dad—to Nicole, 44, and then Miles Richie, 31, and Sofia Richie, 27, his kids with second wife Diane Alexander—was always easy like Sunday morning.
Asked if he'd ever do a reality show with his daughters, Lionel—whose ninth season as a judge on American Idol concludes with the May 11 finale—told E! News that he prefers a simpler life for himself these days.
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“Let me say this to you: Living with my kids has been a reality series that I’ve been trying to forget for a long time,” he quipped in 2023. “So, to bring it to the public right now would be something called post-traumatic syndrome."
His now grown children may be "used to this thing called ‘all your business, every day out in the street,’” the "Hello" singer explained. “I’m a little bit more reserved, so I’ll let them do their thing and Papa Richard can kinda go home and enjoy the fireplace.”
Along with Lisa Parigi, his partner of 12-plus years, the 76-year-old's four grandchildren are the ones who make it an even brighter day, Lionel telling USA Today recently that "pride keeps popping out of my chest."
"Everyone is happy," he said, "and that's the part I love the most. Just watching everyone blossom."
Here's everything to know about Lionel's blossoming blended family:
English (US) ·