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It’s been many years since Lionel Richie first topped the charts and earned a fan following interested in not just his music, but also his personal life. During his time in the spotlight, Lionel has had two notable marriages, involving three children, and two seemingly vindictive ex-wives. Yet over the years, Lionel and his exes seem to have gotten back on good terms, to the point where they all attended Sofia Richie’s nuptials in 2023.
After so many years, Brenda Harvey-Richie, who Lionel divorced in 1993, is doing just fine on her own and doesn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward her ex.
Brenda Harvey-Richie Was Lionel Richie’s First Wife
Lionel’s relationship with Diane Alexander, and their marriage and later divorce, made many more headlines than his first marriage to Brenda Harvey-Richie. Lionel’s first marriage really only made one specific headline; Lionel cheated on Brenda, leading to a physical altercation and Brenda getting arrested.
As far as who Brenda is outside of Lionel, she’s still mom to their adopted daughter Nicole Richie, as well as a doting bonus mom to Diane Alexander’s two kids with Lionel. All the adults involved seem to have mended fences over the years, though Alexander’s divorce was quite acrimonious, given her monetary demands after the split. She didn’t leave much of a mark on Lionel’s net worth, though she did get many millions in their settlement.
Brenda was seemingly less lucky, and any settlement she might have made with Lionel wasn’t ever publicized. Harvey-Richie never remarried, either, which means her earnings are entirely her own.
Brenda Harvey-Richie Is Worth Less Than $2 Million
Harvey-Richie, who still uses her maiden and married names, didn’t glean a massive net worth thanks to her high-profile marriage and subsequent divorce. In fact, most sources say that Brenda Harvey-Richie is worth somewhere between $100,000 and $2.25 million, with some stating $900,000.
One source (which states $2.25M as Brenda’s worth) also claims that Brenda makes $800,000 per year in income, but it’s unclear where that money comes from. However, some of Harvey-Richie’s net worth likely comes from her early career moves, including her time as a composer alongside Lionel.
Brenda clearly had a hand in her ex-husband’s success, having helped pen numerous songs with Lionel. She also owns a publishing company, which may be what her annual income is generated by.
Her Twitter bio also states she owns a music publishing company, and notes her industry as Entertainment & Recreation. Her website does not appear to currently be active, as of May 2023.
There’s another minor detail that could hint at how Brenda’s making money, though she clearly hasn’t been able to maximize her profits the way that Lionel has. Although Lionel is worth around $200 million, Brenda’s earnings are nothing to scoff at.
As Harvey-Richie explained on Twitter, she and Lionel co-own and administer the “Lionel Richie & Brenda Richie Song Catalog.” That clearly comes with some financial benefits, though that wasn’t the point of Brenda’s tweet. Rather, she was confirming that she and Lionel “are a family and that will never change.”
Still, that connection likely means Brenda is bringing in royalties from the song catalog, although she hasn’t benefited financially from other aspects of Lionel’s fame (such as his casting on American Idol).
Do Brenda Harvey And Lionel Richie Get Along Today?
Deposit Photos
Their split was clearly a difficult time, and Brenda Harvey and Lionel Richie were obviously not on good terms when they divorced. However, they always kept things civil for their daughter Nicole, with Lionel speaking only occasionally about their split.
In an interview, Richie once said, “Brenda and I went through a very interesting time,” but confirmed that “We didn’t agree on a lot of things, but we did agree on [Nicole].” Because the former couple’s divorce was very privately handled, by all accounts, it’s unclear whether they fought over custody, finances, or property amid the split.
For Brenda’s part, she may have harbored a grudge for some time, as any person likely would after being cheated on, but today seems to be squarely in the Lionel Richie fan camp. On Instagram, she often posts praise of Lionel, including reposting footage of him attending King Charles’ coronation.
And while fans expressed disbelief that she actually attended Sofia Richie’s wedding, Brenda did so, with commenters calling her a “class act” on Instagram. The extended Richie family only has good things to say about one another (if they say anything at all), which is fantastic for the kids (and grandkids) involved at this point.
Lionel’s Second Wife’s Net Worth Is ‘Low’ Too
Even though Brenda Harvey-Richie’s net worth is far below where her ex’s is, it’s comparable to that of his second wife. It turns out that despite receiving millions from Lionel in their divorce, Diane Alexander is only worth about $1 million.
To the average person, that’s a lot of money, but for someone who’s been married to a multi-millionaire, it’s not a ton of cash. Fortunately, neither of Lionel’s exes seems concerned about money these days, but only about preserving their family bond.
Source: NewsFinale | Read More
