Brenda Harvey-Richie's net worth: How rich is Lionel Richie's first wife?

Brenda Harvey-Richie's net worth is alleged to be between $100,000 and $2.25 million. As Lionel Richie's first wife, she gained attention for their relationship but also built her career. She owns a music publishing company and was once involved in songwriting alongside Lionel Richie.

Brenda Richie at the premiere party for the Simple Life-All Access (L) and the 2004 Teen Choice Awards Backstage Creations Retreat (R). Photo: Ray Mickshaw, Mark Sullivan (modified by author)

Source: Getty Images

Key takeaways

Brenda Harvey-Richie's alleged net worth is between $100,000 and $2.25 million, but a 2023 tweet suggests it may be higher due to her claimed co-ownership of Lionel Richie's song catalogue.

due to her claimed co-ownership of Lionel Richie's song catalogue. She is the CEO and President of BRP Music Publishing Company , with a career in music composition, publishing, and artist management spanning several decades.

, with a career in music composition, publishing, and artist management spanning several decades. Brenda married Lionel Richie in 1975 and adopted Nicole Richie in 1983; their high-profile divorce in 1993 followed Lionel's affair with Diane Alexander.

and adopted Nicole Richie in 1983; their high-profile divorce in 1993 followed Lionel's affair with Diane Alexander. She remains active in the music industry, contributing to projects like Saturday Night Live and sharing personal updates on her social media platforms.

and sharing personal updates on her social media platforms. Despite their split, Brenda has maintained a cordial relationship with Lionel Richie's family, particularly staying close to his children, including Nicole Richie.

Brenda Harvey-Richie's profile summary

Full name Brenda Harvey-Richie Gender Female Date of birth September 2, 1952 Age 72 (as of May 2025) Zodiac sign Virgo Place of birth Brewton, Alabama, USA Current residence Los Angeles, California, USA Nationality American Ethnicity African-American Religion Christianity Sexuality Straight Height in feet 5'4" Height in centimetres 163 Weight in pounds 137 Weight in kilograms 62 Hair colour Black Eye colour Dark brown Mother Lucille Harvey Father Marshal Harvey Siblings Two Marital status Divorced Ex-husband Lionel Richie Children Nicole Richie (adopted) University Tuskegee University Profession Entrepreneur, music composer Net worth $100,000?$2.25 million X (Twitter) @BrendaRichie Instagram @brendahrichie

What is Brenda Harvey-Richie's net worth?

According to The Things and Boomplay, Brenda Harvey-Richie's net worth in 2025 is allegedly between $100,000 and $2.25 million. However, her net worth might be significantly higher based on a 2023 tweet where she revealed co-owning her ex-husband Lionel Richie's entire song catalogue. Brenda's other income sources include songwriting and music publishing.

Top-5 facts about Brenda Harvey-Richie. Photo: Gregg DeGuire/GettyImages (modified by author)

Source: Original

Unveiling Brenda Harvey-Richie's career

Brenda Harvey-Richie has established herself as a music executive, composer, and publisher with a career spanning decades. Since 1993, she has served as CEO and President of BRP Music Publishing Company, overseeing music publishing and artist management.

Beyond her leadership in publishing, Brenda has contributed to the soundtracks of notable productions, including The Sure Thing (1985), Lionel Richie feat. Blake Shelton: Your Are (2012) and Lionel Richie: Penny Lover (1984). Her songwriting credits include tracks featured on TV programs like Saturday Night Live and Glastonbury 2015.

What is Brenda Harvey-Richie doing now?

Brenda Harvey-Richie remains active in the music industry under BRP Music Publishing Company. She also engages in songwriting and artist management, contributing to various projects over the years. Beyond music, she shares updates about her family and political views on social media.

How much did Lionel Richie have to pay his first wife?

There is limited publicly available information on Brenda Harvey-Richie's divorce settlement with Lionel Richie. However, they finalised their divorce in 1993 after 18 years of marriage. Lionel Richie later remarried and had children, while Brenda focused on her music publishing business.

Inside Brenda Harvey-Richie and Lionel Richie's relationship

Nicole Richie, Lionel Richie, and Brenda Harvey Richie in past events. Photo: Ron Galella (modified by author)

Source: Getty Images

Brenda Richie and Lionel Richie's relationship began in their college years, blossoming as Lionel's career with The Commodores took off. They married in 1975 and later (1983) adopted Nicole Richie, providing her with a stable home. However, their marriage faced challenges, particularly when Lionel's affair with Diane Alexander became public.

In 1988, Brenda confronted Lionel and Diane, leading to a highly publicised altercation. The former couple eventually divorced in 1993. Despite their turbulent past, Brenda and Lionel have since maintained a cordial relationship, with Brenda staying close to Lionel's children from his second marriage.

FAQs

How rich is Brenda Harvey-Richie? Brenda has an alleged net worth of between $100,000 and $2.25 million (as of 2025). How much did Lionel Richie have to pay his ex-wife? Lionel Richie paid his second ex-wife, Diane Alexander, a $20 million settlement as part of their divorce. However, there is no information about Lionel and Brenda's 1993 divorce settlement. How much money is Lionel Richie worth? Lionel Richie's alleged net worth in 2025 is $200 million. He accumulated wealth primarily through his successful music career. Who is the richest Richie family member? Lionel Richie is the wealthiest member of the Richie family, with an estimated net worth of $200 million. His daughters Nicole and Sofia Richie have alleged net worths of $40 million and $8 million, respectively. Who was Lionel Richie's first wife? Lionel Richie's first wife was Brenda Harvey-Richie, whom he married in 1975 and divorced in 1993. What happened to Lionel Richie and his first wife? Their marriage ended in 1993 after she caught Lionel Richie having an affair with Diane Alexander. What did Brenda Richie do? In 1988, police arrested Brenda Richie and booked her on suspicion of corporal injury to a spouse, resisting arrest, trespassing, vandalism, battery and disturbing the peace. She posted a $5,000 bail. She stormed the place after finding out Richie was at Diane Alexander's Beverly Hills apartment. Does Lionel Richie have a biological child? Lionel Richie has two biological children, Miles Brockman Richie and Sofia Richie, from his marriage to Diane Alexander. He also adopted Nicole Richie when she was two years old.

Wrapping up

Brenda Harvey-Richie's net worth in 2025 is allegedly between $100,000 and $2.25 million. She built her career in music management, collaborating with artists such as her ex-husband, Lionel Richie, and earned income through songwriting and publishing. As of this writing, Brenda remains active in the music industry, focusing on artist management, songwriting, and publishing.

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