The ‘American Judge’ idol has three talented children with incredible careers of their own. Find out all about Nicole, Miles and Sofia here!
Lionel Richie has the kind of music career only few can dream about. The 72-year-old legendary singer/songwriter rose to fame in the 70s as a founding member of the band Commodores before venturing off on a solo career. His first three albums sold over 30 million copies and spawned such mega hits as “You Are,” “”All Night Long (All Night)” and “Say You, Say Me.” While recording his own music, he also wrote/produced such chart-toppings singles as Kenny Rogers’ “Lady,” “Endless Love” featuring Diana Ross and “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson. His talents brought him four Grammys, an Academy Award nomination and the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s highest honor, the Johnny Mercer Award. Fans can now see him as a judge on American Idol, as he returns for his fifth season on Sunday (Feb. 27).
Nicole Richie, Lionel Richie, Sofia Richie and Miles Richie attend Hollywood event in 2018. (SplashNews)The “Dancing on the Ceiling” hitmaker is just as successful in his personal life, as he is the proud papa of three amazing children. Find out all about Nicole Richie, Miles Richie and Sofia Richie, below!
Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie attends Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2020. (Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/SplashNews)
It’s hard to believe Nicole was barely known to her adoring fans before she starred with BFF-at-the-time Paris Hilton in 2003’s reality show The Simple Life. Born Nicole Camille Escovedo on September 21, 1981 to Peter Michael Escovedo and Karen Moss, Nicole was taken in by Lionel and his then wife Brenda Harvey when Nicole was 3. “My parents were friends with Lionel,” Nicole told People in 2003. “They trusted that they would be more able to provide for me.” Lionel and Brenda then legally adopted Nicole and changed her last name to Richie at the age of 9. They would go on to divorce in 1993, after nearly 18 years of marriage.
After becoming a household name with The Simple Life, there was no stopping Nicole as she ventured out to conquer Hollywood as a television personality, actress, author, and fashion designer. She landed judging stints on the reality runway shows Fashion Star and Making the Cut before nabbing a role on the cult-favorite sitcom Great News.
Nicole is also living her best life at home as a wife and mother. She began dating Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden in 2006 and the pair would go on to marry in 2010. Before they walked down the aisle together, Nicole and Joel welcomed daughter Harlow in 2008 and son Sparrow in 2009.
Miles Richie
Lionel would marry his second wife Diane Alexander in 1995 and they welcomed son Miles on May 27, 1994. Although he didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps with a musical career, Miles chose to try his hand at modeling and signed with the prestigious agency Wilhelmina. “I’d like to be known as a model or an actor, not just the ‘son of,’ or the ‘brother of,’” he told Garage in 2018. “I’d like to develop my own identity in those scenarios.”
In 2019, Miles made his runway debut at Philipp Plein’s show for New York Fashion Week. The same year, he was arrested after allegedly making a bomb threat and punching a security guard at Heathrow airport in London. After being detained by police, according to reports, he was issued a warning and released.
Sofia Richie
Sofia Richie steps out for the Rolla’s x Sofia Richie Collection Launch Event in 2020. (Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency)Lionel and Diane’s youngest child, daughter Sofia, was born on August 24, 1998. When she was only 6 years old, her parents decided to split. Taking after her big brother, Sofia has become a major talent in the modeling world having worked with major brands from Tommy Hilfiger to Adidas. She has a solid social media presence with 7 million followers on Instagram. The ingenue also made headlines with her on-again/off-again relationship with Scott Disick from 2017 to 2020.
