Lionel Richie Shares Sweet Insight Into Bond With Granddaughter Eloise

Lionel Richie’s granddaughter is the emotion he’s been looking for. 
 
Indeed, the American Idol justice precocious gave penetration into his enslaved with girl Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge’s babe Eloise, whom the mates welcomed successful May. 
 
“I person a problem,” helium effused exclusively to E! News successful an interrogation alongside his chap American Idol judges Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, arsenic good arsenic big Ryan Seacrest. “I could conscionable instrumentality her successful my pouch and instrumentality her astir town. Amazing.”
 
And the 75-year-old—who is besides a self-described “Pop Pop” to Nicole Richie and Joel Madden’s 16-year-old Harlow and 15-year-old Sparrow—couldn’t rather enactment into words however precious helium finds his family’s newest addition. He adjacent described however helium could metaphorically conscionable devour her up—and doesn’t caput erstwhile she drools connected him. 
 
“You cognize that signifier of the babe portion wherever the limb becomes a drumstick and you conscionable can’t support your rima disconnected of the small drumstick,” helium enthused. “I'm truthful sorry. But you know, it's that happening wherever you tin conscionable stroke connected the tummy and the small grin comes connected the face.” (For much from Lionel and his American Idol costars, tune into E! News tonight, Oct. 2, astatine 11 p.m.). 

At conscionable 5-months old, Eloise is surely successful an adorable babe stage—and her gramps isn’t the lone 1 who can’t get capable of her. After all, her ma Sofia is soaking successful each past 2nd of her infancy. 

“I wrote everything down successful a scrapbook for Eloise, conscionable things I didn’t privation to forget,” Sofia told The Wall Street Journal in August. “I aftermath up astir 6 a.m. and spell spot my daughter. I person a small greeting regular with her: We aftermath up, she eats, we person a spot of playtime earlier her archetypal nap astatine 8.”

But the 26-year-old’s babe has grown successful and retired of phases, and Sofia—who tied the knot with the British grounds enforcement successful April 2023—noted that she needs to beryllium capable to adapt. 

“The archetypal 4 weeks, I was with her 24 hours a day,” she added. “Now she’s gotten to an property wherever I person her connected a slumber schedule, truthful she’s taking a batch of 90-minute naps passim the day. My beingness and everything that I request to get done person to hap wrong those 90 minutes.”

Despite her adaptability, Sofia besides admits that immoderate things successful her beingness are everlastingly changed since becoming a mom. 

“As a mom, I deliberation I’ll make immoderate much boundaries,” she explained. “If I’ve gotta spell to manner week, past she’s going to battalion her bags and travel with me. If she can’t, past I’m not going to beryllium capable to marque it.”

Keep speechmaking to relive Sofia and Elliot’s emotion story—right up to welcoming Lionel’s endless love. 

—Reporting by Emily Curl