Daddy knows best! Nicole Richie's father Lionel Richie is setting the record straight on the divorce rumors surrounding his daughter and her rockstar husband Joel Madden.
Last month, publications, including Life & Style and InTouch Weekly reported that the couple's marriage was on the rocks and the two were considering getting a divorce. The divorce rumors erupted after moving trucks were spotted in front of the couple's Beverly Hills house in early May. The couple had put their L.A. mansion up for sale.
Well, according to Lionel Richie, the rumors are "completely untrue."
"They've bought a new house and the moving van was pulling up at their old house to move to the new one," the 65-year-old singer told Hello Magazine. "Hence the story they are breaking up."
Sources previously told Life & Style that the 33-year-old fashion designer and the 36-year-old rocker were "leading separate lives for months." It also added that the two were vacationing apart instead as a family with their two children, 7-year-old daughter Harlow and 5-year-old son Sparrow.
Lionel told the publication that the family has never been better.
"I went over to the new place recently and there were the Pup-Pups - otherwise known as my grandchildren - running around all excited showing me their new yard and their new pool," Lionel shared.
The "All Night Long" singer also shared that he confronted his daughter about the breakup rumors, saying, "'Aren't you going to clear [the rumors] up?' I asked Nicole. 'Nah, it's OK,' she said...She's a seasoned Richie. But, as I said to Nicole, 'Rumors you don't worry about. It's when they print something and it's true you need to worry.'"
In 2014, the House Of Harlow designer opened up to Oprah Winfrey about her marriage
"We met and we were partners from day one," she said. "And from the second we found out we were going to be parents together, we looked at each other and we said, 'OK, both of our parents are divorced. We both have had ups and downs with our parents and we don't really have a strong example of what a healthy family life is. But, we're recognizing that now, so let's work at it and let's go through this together as a team.'"
"It's been great. And I would say that's the easiest and hardest part."
