Lionel Richie and Diane Alexander divorced after 28 years, 9 months of marriage. The settlement was reportedly an estimated $20M. See the full timeline.
Figures are reported estimates. Last updated Oct 2026.
Soul superstar's split, reported at about $20 million.
Lionel Richie, the singer and songwriter who rose to fame with the Commodores and then became a solo star with Hello and All Night Long, married Brenda Harvey in 1975, and that marriage ended in the early 1990s. He then married Diane Alexander, a former dancer, in December 1995. The couple had a daughter, Sofia, and a son, Miles, and also raised Nicole Richie, the daughter of his friend the singer Peter Michael Escovedo, whom they had adopted and who later became a television personality.
Richie's wealth came from the Commodores, whose hits included Easy and Three Times a Lady, and from his solo career, where albums such as Can't Slow Down sold millions of copies and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He wrote the charity single We Are the World with Michael Jackson. His royalties from songwriting have made him one of the wealthiest figures in pop music.
Richie and Alexander married in 1995, and the marriage lasted about eight or nine years. In late 2003, the couple's marriage hit the press after a violent incident in which Alexander was arrested after an altercation with a woman who was dating Richie. She filed for divorce, and the divorce was finalized in 2004. Richie later became a judge on the television show American Idol.
The reported settlement was around $20 million, along with arrangements for the couple's children. The details were private, and the figure comes from press estimates. The divorce was resolved without a long public hearing, despite the dramatic circumstances that preceded it.
Richie's catalog of hits was a source of long-lasting income, and California law shares earnings made during the marriage. The marriage was less than a decade long, which limited the amount. The reported sum seems to be based on his royalty income and property.
Richie's career was revived in the 2000s and 2010s, with sold-out tours and a role as a judge on American Idol. He kept his catalog and his income stream. His adopted daughter Nicole became a star in her own right, and his second daughter Sofia also became a model.
The Richie divorce is a mid-size music-industry settlement, like Neil Diamond's and Kenny Rogers's. It shows how long-lasting royalties can make a singer wealthy enough to attract large settlements, even without a company.
Richie's daughter Nicole became famous in the reality show The Simple Life. He wrote We Are the World in 1985 with Michael Jackson. The $20 million figure is a reported estimate.
Diane Alexander's reported settlement was about $20 million.
They married in 1975 and divorced in 2004, a marriage of roughly 29 years.
No prenuptial agreement was reported.
Yes, the family is reported to include 2 children.
Reported assets include: Beverly Hills mansion, music royalties.
Richie's catalog of hits was a source of long-lasting income, and California law shares earnings made during the marriage. The marriage was less than a decade long, which limited the amount.
* Settlement terms were not publicly disclosed. This figure is an estimate.