Future father-in-law! Lionel Richie is very happy for his daughter Sofia Richie after her engagement to Elliot Grange.
“I love Elliot, I’ve known him since I was 12,” the 72—year-old American Idol judge told Access Hollywood on Tuesday, April 26, adding that the newly engaged couple are “so happy” together. “It was one of those things where I don’t have to go back and check on the baby. I know who it is.”
The record producer said he felt comfortable with the offer, explaining, “As a dad and as a dad, you know, this is my little girl, so she’s in safe hands.”
However, 28-year-old Grange wasn’t so sure when she asked Lionel’s permission before the proposal. “He was having a nervous breakdown,” the “Hello” pop singer recalled. “Poor guy. I thought he was going to pass out.”
Earlier this month, the 23-year-old model announced via Instagram that Grange got down on one knee after more than a year of dating. “Forever is not enough, @elliot,” she said on April 20, along with a couple of photos from a special moment.
The couple was first linked in January 2021 after Sofia’s affairs with Gil Ofer and Matthew Morton. She previously dated Scott Disick from 2017 to May 2020, when the duo briefly broke up, but reconciled two months later. The California native and Talentless co-founder, 38, announced they were quitting for good in August.
“Sofia’s family thinks she’s much better off without him. Sofia is a family girl, and knowing that her sister and father disapproved of him from the very beginning was a great event for her.”
A second insider previously noted that Lionel and Nicole Richie were “wary” of Sofia’s affair with the Kardashian Family alum—and their opinion “played a big role in [Sofia’s] problems” with Disick.
“Nicole and Sofia have been spending more time together since Sofia started spending less time with Scott,” a source said in May 2020, adding that the 40—year-old fashion designer “has always been a rock for Sofia” and wanted the best and healthiest outcome” for her younger brother or sister.
The Grammy winner, for his part, openly expressed his doubts when it came to Sofia’s personal life. “It’s just a stage and I’m going to stand still in the corner, bring me a nice drink and not make too much noise,” Lionel told the Daily Mail in February 2018 when asked about his daughter’s relationship with Disick. “She’s 19. When you’re 19, you know everything.”
