According to Biography, Nicole’s biological mother, Karen Moss, was a backstage assistant for Lionel. Her father, Peter Michael Escovedo, was a member of Lionel’s band, as well as the brother of pop percussionist and longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E. Article continues below advertisement
Her biological father, Peter Michael Escovedo, is the brother of musician Sheila E. and nephew of guitarist Alejandro Escovedo, and her biological mother is Karen Moss. When she was three years old, her biological parents decided to leave her under the care of Lionel Richie ‘s family because they could not afford to provide for her.
Nicole was born Nicole Camille Escovedo on September 21, 1981 to her biological mother, Karen Moss, and her father, Peter Michael Escovedo. Both of them worked in the music industry at the time and ran in the same circles as Lionel Richie. By the time Nicole was 2, her parents were reportedly having major relationship and money issues.
Who is the author of Nicole Richie’s adoption story?
After seeing her on stage with Prince, musician Lionel Richie was captivated and knew he had to be part of the future reality star’s life. Author: Rachel Chang. Publish date:
Lionel and Brenda officially adopted Nicole when she was 9. As Lionel’s career skyrocketed during this period with songs like “All Night Long (All Night),” “Hello” and “Say You, Say Me,” the Grammy-winning album Can’t Slow Down and the charity hit “We Are the World,” he also began to adore his role as a father.
Nicole was 9 years old when the adoption came through. “I can remember to this day, that little head, sitting up in the little judge’s chamber,” Lionel said to Nicole on “Talk to Me,” realizing that the young girl didn’t quite understand what was happening.
Establishing trust with Nicole was a challenge, especially because she hadn’t had much stability in her young life. “I remember you had abandonment issues for obvious reasons,” he continued. “You’ve been handed around to every relative in the family. And remember what I said to you.
Lionel stood by Nicole’s side through difficult times. As life has thrown Nicole ups and downs, her dad has always been there to support her. When she went to rehab for drug use in 2003, he dropped everything to be by her side. “I said, ‘I am with you’ and I canceled [my] tour,” Lionel told Morgan.
Who was Nicole Richie’s mother?
A musician himself, Peter Michael Escovedo was a member of Lionel Richie’s band and they briefly toured together. It was around that time Escovedo met Karen Moss, Nicole’s biological mother, when she worked as a backstage assistant for Sheila E. Not long after, Nicole was born.
While she might not have been born into the most stable of family situations, her now 13-year-old daughter, Harlow, her 11-year-old son, Sparrow, and husband, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, keep her grounded and honest with herself.
Knowing they couldn’t properly look after Nicole for financial reasons, Escovedo and Moss took up Lionel Richie’s generous offer and agreed to let her move in with him and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey when Nicole was three years old. After living with Richie and his wife for a few years, it became clear that Nicole’s birth parents couldn’t provide for her.
When she was pregnant with her daughter, Richie said, “I would really want to be someone my child would look up to.”
When Nicole got pregnant for the first time in 2008, she has said that her pregnancy helped her bond with Karen Moss, her biological mother, while also bringing her closer to her adopted father, Lionel Richie.
ADVERTISEMENT
About being adopted, Nicole has said, “My parents were friends with Lionel. They trusted that they would be better able to provide for me.” The rest was history.
In the beginning, it was a challenge for Lionel Richie to earn Nicole’s trust but he promised to never abandon her. Despite being at the peak of his solo career, the legendary singer was determined to create stability for Nicole, who inspired him to write his hit song “Ballerina Girl”.
Who is Nicole Richie’s dad?
Nicole Richie’s Birth Parents Were Known to Her Adoptive Dad, Lionel Richie. Nicole Richie grew up in a famous family, but it wasn’t until she joined Paris Hilton for the reality TV show The Simple Life that she became a household name.
According to Biography, Nicole’s biological mother, Karen Moss, was a backstage assistant for Lionel. Her father, Peter Michael Escovedo, was a member of Lionel’s band, as well as the brother of pop percussionist and longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E. Article continues below advertisement.
“So 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,” Lionel said in a 2015 interview with Piers Morgan. “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.’”
Nicole Richie became a pop culture name when The Simple Life hit the airwaves in December 2003 and ran until August 2007, but many fans and critics were still surprised to find out Nicole is adopted. Her adoptive dad, singer Lionel Richie, knew her birth parents pretty well.
In 1983, Lionel was at a Prince concert in Los Angeles and while there he noticed a 2-year-old girl playing the tambourine on stage next to Prince. That little girl turned out to be Nicole. A few weeks later, Lionel would discover her parents were having some difficulties at home.
Lionel, along with his first wife, Brenda Harvey-Richie, cared for Nicole for two years, when they realized the situation with Nicole’s birth parents wasn’t getting any better. “It was actually getting worse, the family situation was falling apart,” Lionel explained. Article continues below advertisement.
They would complain and joke as they struggled to work as camp counselors, serve meals in fast-food restaurants, and do farm work. People know Nicole as the daughter of a famous dad, but many are surprised to find out she’s adopted. Not only that but Lionel knew Nicole Richie’s birth parents pretty well.
