Lionel Richie described the 1988 altercation between Brenda Harvey and Diane Alexander as the “most awful screaming match of life” in his new memoir “Truly.
Beverly Hills Altercation Revisited in Memoir
Lionel Richie opened up about a volatile moment from his past involving his first wife Brenda Harvey and then-girlfriend Diane Alexander in his new memoir Truly, calling the 1988 incident “the scandal of my century.”
The confrontation unfolded in Beverly Hills when Harvey allegedly discovered Richie and Alexander together. The encounter ended with Harvey’s arrest on charges including battery and trespassing. Although the charges were later dropped, the incident became tabloid fodder and left a lasting emotional impact on the singer.
Richie Describes “Most Awful Screaming Match of Life”
According to an excerpt published by People, Richie recalled the moment Harvey showed up unannounced at his beachside hideaway during their separation.
“What very few people knew was that Brenda and I were separated. I got a place at the beach, and I was hiding out there, trying to be alone, trying to decompress somehow, because it was killing everyone,” Richie wrote. “When the door opens, Brenda is standing there. There is a massive confrontation. Diane is in total shock and I’m trying to leave, to draw Brenda away. It’s the most awful screaming match of life, and it’s all in this small entryway.”
Marriage Fallout and Public Scrutiny
Richie and Harvey were married from 1975 until their divorce was finalized in 1993. During their marriage, they adopted Nicole Richie. The “All Night Long” singer later married Alexander in 1995. They had two children, Miles Richie and Sofia Richie, before divorcing in 2004.
Now 76, Richie reflected on the emotional toll of the media attention that followed the incident. “And I get it. Ladies and gentlemen, I get it,” he wrote. “That’s the saddest day in the life of a marriage. When you know you may love each other, still, and you have a history that you will always have, but it’s over. And you know it.”
He described the press coverage as “disastrous” but said the deeper pain came from watching Harvey suffer.
Richie has been in a relationship with Lisa Parigi since 2014. His memoir Truly, which details his personal and professional highs and lows, is available now.
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