Lionel Richie has opened up about Sofia Richie’s recent engagement and how her fiancé, Elliot Grainge, was “a nervous wreck” when asking the musician for permission to marry his daughter.
The American Idol judge discussed his daughter’s big news during a recent interview with Access Hollywood, acknowledging that he loves her fiancé and has known him for years.
“It was a slippery slope there for a moment, as all families,” he said. “I love Elliot, known him since he was 12, how about that? So, it’s one of those things where I don’t have to go back and check out the kid, I know who he is.”
The 72-year-old singer highlighted how “happy” his daughter, 23, and Grainge are and that as a father, he said that he’s glad to know that Sofia is “in good hands”.
“They’re so happy,” he said. “And as a papa and as a dad, you know, that’s my little girl. So, she’s in good hands.”
According to Lionel, when Grainge asked for permission to marry Sofia, he was so nervous that he looked like he was about to “pass out”.
“He was a nervous wreck, poor guy,” Lionel explained. “I thought he was going to pass out, but he survived it. I was going to rib him a little bit, but I didn’t want to play, he was going to faint.”
However, Lionel is still very happy for his daughter and knows how “in love” she is.
“It was wonderful,” he added. “They’re deeply in love, so all I can say is that’s all you really want as a dad.”
When asked how he reacted when Sofia brought Grainge home, Lionel emphasised how he felt comfortable with him, as they’ve known each other for so long. In fact, Lionel said that throughout his own career, he’s become an “advisor” to Griange.
“Elliot had a head start,” he explained “Because I’ve known him since he was like 12, 13-years-old, so he kind of knows me. From years of being in the business and stuff, he knows who I am. And I can’t intimidate him, you know.”
“But more, I’m like the advisor,” he continued. “He always has this question he wants to ask me. Like ‘what about this? and ‘what about that?’ So I’m kind of like the little encyclopaedia to him in terms of questions he doesn’t normally know growing up.
Grainge’s family also has some experience in the music industry, as his father, Lucian Grainge, is the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group.
Sofia publicly announced her engagement last week in a post on Instagram, as the caption reads: “Forever isn’t long enough @elliot.”
