Elliot Grainge asked for permission to marry his daughter Sofia Richie.
“He was a nervous wreck, poor guy. I thought he was going to pass out, but he survived it,” Lionel, 72, told Access following the engagement news.
“I was going to rib him a little bit, but I didn’t want to play, he was going to faint,” he continued.
“It was wonderful … they’re deeply in love, so all I can say is, that’s what you really want as a dad.”
Lionel Richie noted that he is more than comfortable with Sofia tying the knot with Grainge, as he’s known her now-fiancé since he was a pre-teen.
“I have to be honest with you, it was a slippery slope for a moment,” Lionel joked, before confessing, “I love Elliot. I’ve 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.”
He added, ”They’re so happy, and as a papa and as a dad…that’s my little girl, so she’s in good hands.”
Sofia announced her engagement via Instagram last week:
“Forever isn’t long enough, @elliot,” the bride-to-be captioned photos taken at the Four Seasons Hualalai.
Sofia was dating the music executive, the son of CEO and Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge, Page Six reported in April 2021.
“They have been friends for years and Elliot is also close with Sofia’s brother, Miles,” a source told Entertainment Tonight of Richie’s brother. “It’s very nice for Sofia to date someone who her family approves of and likes.”
