‘What a magical day’: Daughter of music celebrity Lionel Richie converts to Judaism

Famous model Sofia Richie made her career on the runways of such fashion designers as Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel, and has appeared in ads for well-known brands Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger, among others.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

World-famous model Sofia Richie announced her conversion to Judaism Monday ahead of her wedding to Jewish record executive Elliott Grainge.

‘What a magical day. I want to thank cantor Nathan Lam for helping me along this journey of converting to Judaism,” Richie posted on her Instagram account, where she has over 6.5 million followers. “It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Today was that day!!!”

Lam, 75, is the cantor for Temple of the Arts in Beverly Hills, California. For decades he served at the Reform Stephen Wise Temple before being forced to step down last year amidst allegations of years-long sexual misconduct with a former female student.

Grainge is the 28-year-old son of Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. When receiving the Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award in 2018 at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the senior Grainge called himself “a nice Jewish boy,” but said that his parents had sent him “to a nice Christian school, because it offered the best education in our neighborhood.”

He added that his love of music began when he was “five or six,” because the favorite part of his school day “were the mandatory morning hymns.”

The younger Grainge formed and owns his own record label, 10K Projects, with such stars signed on as rappers Trippie Redd and Tekashi 6ix9ine.

Richie is the daughter of singing icon Lionel Richie and his second wife, Diane Alexander. Although several websites that follow celebrities claim that Alexander is Jewish, this is seemingly not the case. Richie was raised as a Christian, spending two years at a Christian school, Oaks Christian, as well as being home-schooled. She has said that the school had a good and important influence on her character.

The 24-year-old beauty has made her career on the runways of such fashion designers as Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel, and has appeared in ads for well-known brands Adidas and Tommy Hilfiger, among others.

With so many followers, she is also an Instagram influencer, with her fame shooting up a few notches during the relationship she had prior to Grainge. Her boyfriend for three years was Scott Disick, known for having had three children with Kourtney Kardashian of the prominent entertainment and fashion designing clan before the pair broke up.

Grainge and Richie had been friends for years before they started dating, with their fathers being friends and colleagues in the music business. Their romance became official in April two years ago, and they became officially engaged exactly a year ago.

American celebritiesJewish convertReform Judaism