Brenda Harvey-Richie is the first wife of music artist Lionel Richie and an adoptive mother of another Hollywood celebrity, Nicole Richie.
Today, she is a CEO and president of BRP Music Publishing Company which she founded in 1993. The company owns rights for many Richie’s songs. However, Brenda started her career as a composer and co-wrote a couple of Lionel’s songs. She also served as a production assistant.
Brenda and Lionel got acquainted at college and tied knots on October 18, 1975. Having no biological kids together, the spouses started to take care of Nicole Camille Escovedo, a daughter of Lionel’s friends and bandmates, and adopted her in 1990. Now, the girl is famed as Nicole Richie.
In 1986, Lionel Richie started an extramarital affair with Diane Alexander. In 1988, Harvey discovered her spouse and his mistress together in a hotel in Beverly Hills after pretending to be from room service. She attacked her husband and was later arrested for spousal abuse, trespassing and vandalism but came out on bail. Lionel and Brenda’s marriage was dissolved on August 9, 1993.
In one of her interviews, Brenda’s daughter Nicole shared that her mom taught her the importance of taking good care of her body skin. She told that Brenda didn’t allow her to leave the house without lotion. Now, Nicole raises her kids in the same manner.
A curious fact: despite her separation with Lionel, Brenda is still in good relationship with her ex-spouse and his kids with Diane Alexander. The woman often shares photos of her daughter Nicole as well as Diane’s children Sofia and Miles on her Instagram and seems to be proud of all of them.
