Lionel Richie says Harlow is ‘the sweetest, most wonderful baby’
Nicole Richie, 26, isn’t the only one surprised by her dramatic transformation from wild child to mommy since giving birth to daughter Harlow Winter Kate, 8-weeks tomorrow. In a call to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show this morning, Nicole’s dad — singer Lionel Richie — admitted that he, too, was caught off guard by the changes in his daughter, whom he marvels at having "turned into a full-fledged mom." Lionel tells Ryan,
It’s the most frightening thing in the world because you keep thinking, ‘Are you going out?’ And [she's like], ‘No, dad, can’t go out! [Harlow] has another feeding — I have to be right here!
But Nicole isn’t the only one getting rave reviews from Lionel. He also had kind words for Nicole’s boyfriend Joel Madden, whom he praised for being "so in tune with Nicole," adding, "I love him to death." Harlow, for her part, is "the sweetest, most beautiful baby" according to her proud grandfather. Said Lionel,
Nicole’s kid is amazing.
For more from Lionel’s interview, click ‘continue reading.’
Contrary to non-committal statements he made about whether or not Nicole was pregnant shortly after rumors of the pregnancy began to swirl, Lionel says he knew about the baby "15 seconds after" Nicole herself found out. He recalled the moment he found out he was going to become a grandfather, telling Ryan,
Nicole and I are very close. She presents everything to me as, ‘Oh, my God, dad, you’re not going to believe this!’ I sat down and said, ‘How bad is it?’ She said, ‘I’m pregnant!’ I said, ‘Oh, my God!’ and got tears in my eyes.
Source: US Magazine
- Posted on Mar 6, 08 at 2:05PM
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- 27 Comments
March 6th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Lional sounds like a very proud grandfather
March 6th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
cute interview! I love Lionel. I’m sure he will spoil Harlow!!
March 6th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Poor Nicole even has to have her father defend her to the press about her leaving the house. Jeez, I really wish people would leave her alone about it. She’s allowed to go out of the house for a few hours without being a bad mom.
That said, how cute is Lionel? I’ll bet he’s just the best grandpa. I have a feeling he was hoping for a granddaughter :>
March 6th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I have been a fan of Nicole ever since she grew apart from Paris. In spite of all her troubles I think she really has improved her life for this Baby, and Harlow is absolutely gorgeous
March 6th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I have to say I give it a little more time before I’m fully convinced that Nicole has made such a dramatically fast transformation. She had some pretty serious problems before she got pregnant and those kind of physical addictions don’t go away overnight, nor does something even as powerful as a baby always turn you around that completely that fast (in fact I would say it never truly happens that fast — addiction is after all a lifetime affliction).
This is not meant as a judgment or anything like that — they appear to be wonderful parents and I’m sure they love their baby very much. I’m just wary of the whole “oh, everything’s perfect now!” attitude in such situations as this. Not because I don’t think everything isn’t perfect right now, but because the seriousness of addiction has to be understood to avoid falling back into it again. The second it’s viewed as an easy-as-pie transformation is the second it’s easiest to slip back into it.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
He not only sounds like a proud grandfather, but a proud father as well. It is great the relationship they have forged.
March 6th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Chiara,
I couldn’t agree more. the road from an addiction to recovery is long, arduous process. nothing heals overnight. i, too, am wary of the whole “oh, everything’s perfect now!” attitude.
March 6th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Unlike the pessimists, I am 100% on board with Nicole and very proud and not surprised of how awesome she is doing. I have always believed that she would be all that she is right now.
I love the way she broke the pregnancy news to Lionel. They must be really close!
i wonder if she told Joel or Lionel first.
Cute Family!
March 6th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Yes, Nicole had some pretty serious issues, but she had started changing before she became pregnant. I have never had an addiction, but I know people don’t change unless they want to. I think Harlow has given Nicole a reason to change. This young woman seems to be doing a great job, and I for one, and cheering her on.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
It’s not pessimism. I believe she has every capability to stay sober and live a long, healthy and happy life and she certainly appears to be heading in that direction. I’m just pointing out that a cavalier attitude is a lot more dangerous than a realistic perspective of, “She’s come a long way, and she continues to have a long way ahead of her.” I view that as far more optimistic than an immediate transformation, actually. Every sober day is a huge, wonderful victory for an addict, struggle though it may be, and she should be proud of herself for them. Burying the past and pretending everything is perfect is a lot more pessimistic, not to mention unrealistic. It indicates shame rather than pride, which is not a good thing.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Thatis such a sweet interview.
I just love this girl. she just seems to amazing! All the Men in her life have nothing but amazing things to say about her.
Wish them the best. Such a great family. I can feel the love!!!
March 6th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Yeah, I agree with J-Lin
Anyways, Lionel seems like such a proud grandpa and father. It’s cute.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I love her single braid. Kudos to the team or person, that pulled her together for the photo shoot.
There is really no reason to harp on Nicole’s past mistakes. We are all but one bad decision away from going down the prim rose path, even if we have never touched a drop. I’m considering dental work, in the very near future, that may require some major meds after the fact. I’m already “bucking up” to try and go without them, when the time comes. I’ve never had a problem with addiction, but, at the same time, a little caution, never hurt a girl.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I knew she had it in her
March 6th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
It was so sweet to read the People article–they are so in love with their little girl, it’s a great way to start their lives together! I do agree with Chiara in a way, though, and I don’t believe either of us are being negative. I was addicted to cigarettes, since I was a young teenager, for twenty years before I became pregnant. I quit as soon as I found out, and have never smoked again. My son is 100% the reason why. I only stopped thinking that cigarettes smelled good a couple of years ago, and my son will be 15 later this year! So, I agree that addictions are powerful and don’t go away overnight. But, if anyone has a reason to stay in line, it’s Nicole–she really seems to have put things in perspective. I’m very happy for all of them.
March 6th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I don’t think previous posters were being pessimistic- just cautious. We’d all like to think everything is going to be A-Ok. But Nicole has had several serious issues. That doesn’t mean she isn’t a good parent. It just means she needs to continue to be careful and not think because she has a baby everything is going to wonderful. For many, having a newborn is considered the “honeymoon” stage. After the attention dies and life becomes (for some moms) more mundane, addicts (even recovering addicts) are more susceptible to slipping back into self-destructive behavior. That being said, we all wish Nicole and her beautiful family all the health and happiness in the world!
March 6th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Well, I know we aren’t the ones that have to be convinced of her “change”..as long as her close friends and family that know her personally continue to see her grow and learn. I love that no matter what her father has stood behind her and i know he’s in heaven right now…everyone makes mistakes, It’s how you take what you learned from those mistakes and apply them to your life that matter and she’s on the right track..even seeing a conseler
March 6th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Dani, I don’t think anyone was being pessimistic. It’s just that they obviously know something about what it’s like to be an addict. Actually, I am really glad this topic was brought up. There is a stigma attached to alcoholism and addiction and a lot of misunderstanding about what it’s all about. As a recovering addict myself, I know how hard it can be even if everything in your life seems so perfect. It’s not something that ever just goes away – that’s why I say I am “recovering” but will never be able to say “recovered”.
That said, I am very happy for Nicole. I think Harlow is adorable! =)
March 6th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Nicole was cleaning up her life long before Harlow came into it and I think she is continuing to make positive strides and instead of saying “oh…can it last?” we should be praising her for her ability to rise above and become a good mother and good person. I think since she and Paris parted company, she has matured and grown into a mature adult.
However, on point, Lionel is so sweet. I love reading interviews from him or Nicole when the other is mentioned. There is just so much love there.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
That’s a cute interview. I have to agree that it’s not inaccurate to say that she has a long road ahead of her. It’s not to say that she hasn’t done amazing so far. I hope that she continues to do well with the support and love of her family.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I’m not sure about any of you, but my entire life changed the day my son was born. Granted, I wasn’t fighting any of the battles in Nicole’s past, but I still believe that like any mother who truly wants to be a mother, you put your child first and do the best you can from there. Judgement of others is to be expected; however, it is not necessarily the foundation on which one may wish to climb. I wish her the best of luck. They have a stunning baby girl and a new life ahead of them. Life is surely headed in the right direction.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Mary-Helen- ITA! I also want to point out that Angelina Jolie was quite the “wild child” when she was younger, just as Nicole was before Harlow was born. When she adopted Maddox, however, she did what most “wild children” do, she grew up and matured. Fast-forward 6-plus years (Mad will turn 7 in August), and Angie’s “wild child” ways most definitely seem to be a thing of the past.
Therefore, it’s very possible that Nicole has also left her “wild child” ways behind for good.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:18 am
I as so proud of Nicole & Joel. They have both stepped right up and seem to be wonderful parents. You can tell they really love there new baby daugher Harlow.
I can also tell that Lionel Richie loves his new Granddaugher but I also think he is still getting used to the idea of being a grandfather. Lionel is going to be great though.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:33 am
the more i read about this family, the more i really like & identify with them. she seems less & less like paris as time goes by. i commend her parenting style.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I am surprised to hear that Nicole and Paris have parted ways. I recall reading that there was a sleepover at the house of Nicole’s mom, to celebrate the babies’ birth, and Paris attended. And, before that, there was the very public lunch, right after the shower, to show support.
Last, it would seem really strange for there to have beeen a “parting of the ways”, between the two, given also that Paris, is now dating Benji.
But, stranger things have happened in life.
March 8th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Becky- I, personally, don’t think they have parted ways. I think that some of the other comments just got a bit confused, since Nicole and Paris DID part ways for awhile not too long ago. However, what most people don’t seem to know is that the two reconciled sometime either just before or just after Nicole announced her pregnancy with Harlow.
However, Nicole and Paris haven’t been seen out in public together for quite awhile, which is most likely the reason why a lot of people don’t realize that they have, in fact, reconciled.
All of that said, I realize I’m probably going to get blasted for this, but….Wouldn’t it be interesting/ironic if Paris winds up pregnant with Benji’s baby soon (especially considering the fact that Benji isn’t just Joel’s brother, he’s Joel’s identical twin brother!)? I definitely can’t picture Paris as a mother right now, but then, look at how much Nicole changed when she became pregnant with Harlow!
March 9th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I don’t think the previous posters were being pessimistic either. I think the press likes to latch on to certain ideas (dramatic, fairy tale like stories about how having a baby can fix everything wrong with someones life) – and as wonderful as it would be if that were true, it’s still a very dangerous idea that they’re perpetuating. I’m sure there are rare cases where that happens, but it’s not a good idea for the press to be pushing that idea so hard. It could really give impressionable young people some really bad ideas about a baby being able to fix someone’s life. When that isn’t the case for a lot of people.