Why Lionel Richie's Relationship Is Causing A Stir

Lionel Richie's career as a singer and hit songwriter earned him the highly coveted position as a judge on American Idol alongside Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. He joined the beloved show in 2017, and according to Variety, he excitedly said, "As a singer, songwriter and producer, I feel I can bring a great deal of experience to the table. It's going to be so much fun!" Now, Lionel's eyebrow-raising relationship is taking center stage — here's the scoop. To celebrate Valentine's Day 2021, Lionel shared a photo of himself with his girlfriend, Lisa Parigi, on Instagram. The duo has been dating since 2014, according to Page Six, but the good people of the internet had a minor flip-out when they realized that there's about a 40-year age gap between the two of them. One Twitter fan wrote, "Lionel Richie with his new Bae, he's 71 and she's 30, love wins." Though Parigi's exact age is unknown, Page Six claimed she's in her 30s — and reportedly younger than Lionel's oldest daughter, Nicole Richie. As another person commented, "Personally I don't have an issue with age but Lionel Richie is dating someone younger than his daughter." Some fans pointed out a hint of hypocrisy, since Lionel was upset about the fact that his daughter, Sofia Richie, was dating Scott Disick, with a 15-year age gap. Lionel called their relationship "a phase," according to E! News. A source told the outlet: "Lionel has accepted their relationship but still isn't entirely 100 percent on board with Scott mostly because of the age difference and how young Sofia is." Sofia and Disick split in October 2020, according to Seventeen magazine, so Lionel can breathe a sigh of relief. But still, he's certainly okay with age gaps when it comes to his own relationships. While the age gap between Lionel and Lisa might be an issue for some people, it hasn't stopped the couple from thinking about marriage and babies. That being said, one is more likely than the other. In 2016, two years after he started dating Lisa, Lionel told the Mirror, "Marriage. [...] It's a bad idea for men. I've been there twice and it was very expensive for me. [...] Kids aren't the problem — ex-wives are. That's why I won't marry again, but I'm happy to commit in other ways." That works out just fine for Parigi, who apparently explained, "I don't need a ring to validate my relationship with him. What we already have is enough. So many people need marriage to validate a relationship, but I'm not one of them. Lionel doesn't owe me anything." As for having children together, Lionel admitted, "I'm willing to become a father again. I might have just let a secret slip there, but so be it — Lisa and I are cool with the idea of children." If they do end up having little ones of their own, then there's a good chance you'll see them popping up on social media. If anyone has an issue with Lionel dating Lisa, then they might want to stay away from her Instagram account — she loves to post pics with her partner. Whether they're enjoying a meal together, taking an outdoor art class, watching a basketball game, or celebrating special events, it's pretty clear they enjoy each other's company. According to Heavy, Parigi is originally from Switzerland and used to be a model, but now manages the lifestyle blog "Dream Design Discover." She also happens to be fluent in German, French, Swiss German, and English. Parigi explained to Hedonist Magazine, "In Switzerland, all children are taught several languages from a very young age. [...] Knowing many languages has also benefited me because it is unexpected — people notice my exotic look and make assumptions, and then I speak and they are intrigued and curious of where I come from. I love that I do not fit a typical mold or label." The fact that she doesn't fit into a mold is surely one of the reasons Lionel is so charmed by the lady in his life. #LionelRichie #Relationship #LisaParigi