The king of your favorite '80s love ballads may go down in history for his chart-topping hits, but Lionel Richie's biggest source of pride will always be his three children: Nicole, Miles Brockman, and Sofia.
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Richie's path to fatherhood was unexpected, to say the least. While attending a Prince concert in 1983, he found himself completely captivated not by the singer but by the 2-year-old girl playing tambourine by his side: Nicole. After learning that she was the daughter of two friends in the business who were embarking on a tour, he offered to let the little one stay with him and his wife, Brenda Harvey, so that she could have more stability. Her birth parents were having "difficulties with their relationship," and it didn't take long for the American Idol judge to form a bond with the precocious toddler.
"It took about maybe a year for me to just fall in love, and she was a little button, and of course by that time, I was Dad," he told Piers Morgan in a 2015 interview. "So I said, 'Okay, here is what we are going to do: You're going to make everyone wish that they had adopted you. You are going to make everyone in your family wish they actually had a chance to get you back,' and that's when I said, 'Let's adopt her.'"
Harvey and Richie officially adopted Nicole when she was 9 years old. Unfortunately, the couple divorced just a few years later, in 1993. The musical mastermind remarried Diane Alexander in 1995 and had two more children, Miles Brockman (born 1994) and Sofia (born 1998).
Let's take a look at what these superstar progenies are up to today.
Nicole Richie
Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
Probably the most well-known of the Richie trio, Nicole Richie is a socialite, actress, author, designer and reality star. She first stepped into the spotlight back in the early 2000s when she starred alongside fellow socialite Paris Hilton on the hit show The Simple Life. Although Nicole was already established in Hollywood, this appearance is what made her a household name and led to other gigs, including her own show Candidly Nicole. She's also written two fiction books -- The Truth About Diamonds (2005) and Priceless (2010) -- and has her own fashion line, House of Harlow 1960.
The now 41-year-old married Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden in 2010, and the pair have two children: Harlow (born 2008) and Sparrow (born 2009). Today she keeps herself busy with motherhood and her many ventures. Her most recent series, Nikki Fre$h, showcased her funny side as she interacted "with real-life wellness experts while comedically exaggerating solutions to better health and a healthier planet." Nicole also appeared in the comedy-horror film Cursed Friends in 2022.
Miles Brockman Richie
Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Rolla's
The only son of Lionel Richie and Diane Alexander, 28-year-old Miles Brockman keeps a much lower profile than his sisters. After a brief stint of studying accounting at the University of California Los Angeles, he dropped out in 2018 to sign with Wilhelmina and start modeling. He made his New York Fashion Week debut that same year and has since walked for Philipp Plein and appeared in campaigns for Boss and MCM Japan.
Brockman has since stepped back from modeling and has expressed interest in opening his own restaurant and following his father's footsteps into music. He told V Magazine: "I wanted to do something that'll change the game a little bit and be in my own individual lane of eats."
Sofia Richie
Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images
Even though she's the youngest of the Richie bunch, Sofia has already made quite the name for herself due to her wild success in the modeling industry (a career she began at just 14).She famously dated Justin Bieber in 2016 and entered a relationship with Scott Disick in 2017. But the model and superstar influencer has since moved on to greener pastures. In 2022, she announced her engagement to music executive Elliot Grainge.
Now 24, the LA native remains one of the most popular and in-demand models. Her Instagram boasts a massive 7.9 million followers, and she's been the face of numerous campaigns, including Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. In addition to her modeling gigs, Sofia recently announced that she was taking on the role of beauty director for Nudestix, an eco-conscious clean beauty brand. "Growing up with acne I was always really curious and determined to have clean and healthy skin," she told New Beauty. "I've been using Nudestix products for years, and I am thrilled to be working with them so closely."
While living in the shadow of a legendary father is no small feat, it's clear that Lionel Richie's three children are each carving out their own paths to success. One can only assume that he's a very proud papa.
