Why Brenda Harvey-Richie Kicked Lionel Richie

Brenda Harvey-Richie is a music composer and an entrepreneur best known as the former wife of singer and songwriter Lionel Richie.

Brenda Harvey Richie Quick Facts

Full NameBrenda Harvey-Richie
Nick NameBrenda
BirthdaySeptember 2, 1952
Age71 years old
Birth PlaceBrewton, Alabama, USA
HoroscopeVirgo
ReligionChristianity
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityMixed
EducationSouthern Normal SchoolTuskegee University
Father’s NameMarchal Harvey
Mother’s NameLucille Harvey
Biological SiblingsStephen Harvey
Half-Siblings
Height5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m)
Weight52 kg (114 lbs.)
Shoe Size7
Hair ColorBrown
Eye ColorDark Brown
Physique (Figure)Fit
MarriedNo
Relationship StatusDivorced
Ex-HusbandLionel Richie
Ex-partner
Son
DaughterNicole Richie
ProfessionBusinesswoman
Net Worth$2 million
Social Media@brendahrichie

Who Is Brenda Harvey-Richie & Why Is She Famous?

Brenda Harvey is an Entrepreneur and a former celebrity wife.

Today’s Brenda Richie is an accomplished woman who has created her own fame.

But back in the day, she rose to prominence because of her relationship to Lionel Richie, an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality.

So much so that many people still refer to her as the singer’s first wife.

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Background and Early Life of Brenda Harvey-Richie

Brenda Harvey was born in September 2, 1952, in Brewton, Alabama, USA.

She is 71 years old, and her zodiac sign is Virgo.

Brenda Harvey is the daughter of Marshal Harvey and Lucille Harvey.

Her father was a US Marine Marshall who served in WWII.

Meanwhile, her mother worked as an English and social studies teacher at one of her hometown’s schools.

Brenda also had a brother named Stephen Harvey.

She is of Afro-American ethnicity and is of American nationality.

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 Education and Early Career

Brenda went to her hometown’s Southern Normal School.

She later earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Tuskegee University in 1974.

Brenda is a music composer as well as a business owner.

She began her career as a music composer for songs such as Glastonbury, Penny Loafer, and many others.

Brenda has been running BRP Publishing, a music publishing company, as its CEO since 1993.

Her company owns the majority of Lionel Richie’s hits, including “Hello,” “All Night Long,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling,” among many others.

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Relationship and Marriage to Lionel Richie

Brenda and Lionel went to Tuskegee University, and that is how the couple met each other.

Their relationship started while at college, just around the time when Lionel’s career as an artist was taking off with The Commodores.

Their relationship continued well after they both graduated in 1974.

A year after their graduation, on October 18, 1975, Brenda walked down the aisle and married Lionel.

Brenda Harvey-Richie with ex-husband Lionel Richie
Brenda Harvey-Richie with ex-husband Lionel Richie. (Pinterest)

Brenda and Lionel’s wedding was a private event, and only their closest family and friends attended the wedding.

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Did Brenda Harvey-Richie and Lionel have kids?

Despite their long relationship, the couple never welcomed any children together.

However, in 1983, they both informally adopted Nicole Camille Escovedo, the two-year-old daughter of one of Lionel’s band mates.

Brenda and Lionel began taking care of Nicole when she was three. Nicole’s biological parents, Peter Escovedo and Karen Moss, were struggling financially, and it did not help that their marriage was falling apart as well.

Despite the fact that she is the adopted daughter, they both consider Nicole their own in every way.

Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie. (Nicole/Instagram)

Lionel publicly said how he and Brenda did not agree on many things, but both would always agree when it came to Nicole.

During interviews, he would often talk about Nicole.

“Nicole was actually a godsend. She was a little girl who needed a shot. She was used to people coming and going. She looked at me and I’d say, ‘I’m not going anywhere.'”

Nicole Camille Richie is a year-old American television personality, fashion designer, socialite, and actress.

She has been married to Joel Madden since 2010.

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Why Brenda and Lionel Divorced?

After almost two decades of marriage, the couple had an unpleasant split.

While still married to Brenda, Lionel was having an affair with a dancer named Diane Alexander, whom he met at the 1984 Olympics.

Lionel Richie with ex-wife Diane Alexander
Lionel Richie with ex-wife Diane Alexander. (Pinterest)

Brenda grew suspicious of Lionel’s infidelity when he and Diane were two years into their relationship.

She later hired a private investigator to carefully find out about his extramarital affairs.

Brenda had doubts, but she did not have any concrete proof.

In 1988, Diane unexpectedly showed up at Diane’s Beverly Hills home at 2 in the morning and found Lionel and Diane together.

According to Richie, who gave details to the police, Brenda kicked Richie in the stomach, turned over furniture, broke glasses, and caused a hailstorm.

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Brenda Harvey-Richie Drop-Kicking Lionel Richie

When Lionel said that Brenda kicked him, he was not lying.

According to an eyewitness, Brenda physically charged Lionel and Diane after she found them together.

When law enforcement arrived, things had gone so bad that they had to restrain Brenda on the floor while she called out to Diane.

Harvey was charged with bodily harm to her spouse, resisting arrest, trespassing, vandalism, battery, and disturbing the peace.

Brenda got out of jail the next day on a $5,000 bond.

The same year, in 1988, Lionel filed for divorce after that acrimonious event between him, Brenda, and his mistress. The divorce was finalized five years later, in 1993.

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Brenda Harvey-Richie’s Life After Divorce

Brenda Harvey never remarried after her divorce with Lionel Richie.

She didn’t settle for a long-term relationship after that.

However, her bad blood with Lionel seems to have gone away, as the former husband and wife occasionally spend time together.

For example, Lionel sends flowers to Brenda on Mother’s Day and even gets dinner with Nicole.

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Lionel Richie’s Life After Divorce

Lionel Richie eventually got married to his mistress, Diane Alexander, in 1995.

The pair welcomed two children, a son, Miles Brockman, and a daughter, Sofia Richie, from their union.

The two were born on May 27, 1994, and August 24, 1998, respectively.

Sofia Richie is an American social media personality, model, and fashion designer.

Likewise, Miles Brockman is also involved in the fashion industry.

Unfortunately, Lionel and Diane split in 2004.

Today, Lionel is dating Lisa Parigi, a 34 Swiss model who is 40 years younger than Lionel Richie.

Lisa Parigi with Lionel Richie
Lisa Parigi with Lionel Richie. (Lisa/Instagram)

The couple are happily dating and often make public appearances.

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Lionel’s Music Career and Success

Lionel initially saw success with his first band, the Commodores, an R&B band formed in the 1960s. Atlantic Records, which was managing other artists like the Jackson 5, signed the Commodores.

Under Atlantic records, the Commodores gave hits like “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady,” and so on.

After band success, Lionel started his solo career in 1982 and released a self-titled album. This album consisted of hits like “Truly,” “My Love,” and “You Are,” which established him as a revered artist.

During the 1980s, Lionel also co-wrote the song “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson.

This collaboration became one of the most successful ones as “We Are the World” became the fastest-selling single in U.S. pop history and generated over $60 million to date.

In 1986, Richie won an Oscar for his classic song “Say You, Say Me.”

As of 2018, Richie has appeared as a judge on American Idol, alongside artists like Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.

Similarly, in 2022, Richie got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Los Angeles.

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Lionel Richie’s Net Worth

Over the years, Lionel has sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of music worldwide. As a result, Richie has a massive net worth of $200 million as of today.

However, making music and its sales weren’t the only things that contributed to his riches.

Over the years, Richie has made several investments and signed major brand deals, which have brought him an enormous amount of fortune.

Lionel has real estate investments worth millions that provide him with an ever-increasing value of money.

Similarly, Richie has investments in tech companies like Tidal, a hi-fi music streaming company that sold for nearly $300 million in 2021 to Square, a financial institute founded by Jack Dorsey.

Lionel also has major restaurants, wineries, and other food and beverage-related investments that bring him a constant flow of revenue.

Finally, Richie has signed multi-million dollar brand endorsement deals with major corporations such as McDonald’s and Pepsi. 

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Philanthropy Work

Over the years, Richie has focused on doing good for society and giving back to the community.

As a result, he involves himself in various kinds of charitable work and philanthropic activities.

Lionel has been providing scholarships to needy students, especially those who pursue music or drama.

Similarly, he uses his fortune, fame, and influence in support of various charitable organizations like St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the American Red Cross.

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Brenda Harvey-Richie Net Worth

Brenda has an estimated net worth of around $2 million.

Furthermore, she received a $20 million payoff from Lionel after asking for $300,000 per month in alimony to maintain her opulent lifestyle.

Brenda Harvey-Richie is 71 years old. She was born on September 2, 1952, in Brewton, Alabama, USA.

Brenda and Lionel met each other while studying at the Tuskegee University. The couple married in 1975.

Brenda and Lionel were married for nearly two decades before Brenda caught Lionel cheating with another woman named Diane. Lionel filed for divorce in 1988.

No, Brenda and Lionel did not have kids together. However, the couple jointly adopted Nicole, daughter of one of Lionel’s friends, in 1983.

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