Lionel Richie Shares His Reaction to Daughter Sofia’s Arrival of Second Baby
Lionel Richie is overflowing with pride as he celebrates his daughter Sofia Richie Grainge embracing motherhood with two children.
“The wonderful aspect is that our family continues to expand and my pride keeps swelling. It’s a beautiful experience. Everyone is joyful, and that brings me the most happiness. Just observing everyone flourish,” Richie, 76, shared in an interview with USA Today via TikTok on Tuesday, March 31.
He added, “Pop Pop is back in action. … Isn’t that amusing? I came here thinking I’m Mr. Richie, Mr. Richie. Now I’m Papa Richie on American Idol.”
Richie Grainge, 27, revealed in March that she and her husband Elliot Grainge welcomed their second child.
“Henry Cecil Grainge 💙 03/18/26,” she shared on Instagram at the time. “Loves of my life.”
The couple, who wed in 2023, previously welcomed their daughter, Eloise, in May 2024.
“Lionel is absolutely thrilled for Sofia and Elliot. He was overjoyed when they announced the arrival of their first child,” an insider exclusively revealed to Us Weekly regarding Lionel’s emotional response to another grandchild. “Sofia is Lionel’s youngest, making it a bittersweet moment for him, realizing his little girl is all grown up and stepping into motherhood. He couldn’t hold back tears.”
In the months following Eloise’s birth, Richie Grainge opened up about her “emotionally taxing” delivery and her recovery journey.
“I felt extremely unwell. So, [Dr. A, my physician] had her wonderful nurse come over, and my blood pressure was recorded at 165 over 103,” she recounted on an October 2024 episode of the “She MD” podcast, mentioning her diagnosis of postpartum preeclampsia. “My poor husband exclaimed, ‘I need to get you to the hospital because Dr. A insists it’s just not safe for you to be at home.’ Consequently, I spent 24 hours in the hospital, and it was incredibly challenging.”
Richie Grainge noted that her recovery involved taking blood pressure medication for nearly three months.
“From the moment Eloise was born, I felt like, ‘I can’t miss any awake time. I can’t miss a moment. I don’t want someone else caring for my child,’” Richie Grainge said. “[I] was adamant, ‘Yes, I feel fortunate to have support, but I also have no intention of someone else raising my child.’ I wouldn’t have had a child if I wasn’t ready to embrace that responsibility. My mom guilt has been a constant balancing act.”
