Lisa Parigi, Lionel Richie’s Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Getty Lisa Parigi and Lionel Richie

Lisa Parigi is the longtime girlfriend of musician and American Idol judge Lionel Richie. The couple has been together since at least 2014.

Parigi grew up in Switzerland and has worked as a model. She now runs a lifestyle blog called “Dream Design Discover.”

Parigi has managed to keep her exact age under wraps. But Parigi is often described by various outlets as being in her 30s, making her at least three decades younger than her boyfriend. Richie is 71.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Lisa Parigi Is of Swiss, Caribbean & Chinese Ancestry & Speaks Four Languages

GettyLionel Richie and Lisa Parigi on November 11, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.

Parigi spent her childhood and early adulthood in Switzerland. She is of Swiss, Caribbean and Chinese heritage.

Parigi can also speak four languages fluently: German, French, Schwiizertüütsch” (Swiss German) and English. She told the Hong Kong-based magazine Hashtag Legend that despite her half-Chinese background, she does not speak Mandarin or Cantonese.

Her skills with multiple languages are impressive in the United States, but Parigi says it was simply the norm for her growing up in Switzerland. She told Hedonist Magazine in 2017 that her multicultural childhood has benefited her professionally.

“In Switzerland, all children are taught several languages from a very young age… Now I see how valuable a gift it is for me in life and in business to be able to communicate so well in many different places. Knowing many languages has also benefitted me because it is unexpected – people notice my exotic look and make assumptions, and then I speak and they are intrigued and curious of where I come from. I love that I do not fit a typical mold or label.”

2. Parigi Began Her Professional Career In the Corporate World & Now Manages a Candle Collection

Parigi is the founder and CEO of a lifestyle brand called “The Estate Collection.” The company sells candles and fragrance oils. She explained on her blog that she “combines her passion for traveling, design, and luxury” to create the hand-poured candles. She said the flavors are “inspired by her favorite global destinations.”

Parigi further told the Hedonist Magazine she was inspired to create a candle line because she takes them with her whenever she travels to “bring a sense of familiarity and home.”

But Parigi did not initially set out to become an entrepreneur. She began her career working in the corporate world. According to her blog, Parigi held “key positions at numerous IT-focused Fortune 500 companies based in Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland.”

3. Richie Has Hinted About Being Open to Having Children With Parigi But Right Now Their Only ‘Child’ Is a Dog Named Sylvester

Parigi has not been married before and does not have children. Richie has three adult children from his two previous marriages. He adopted daughter Nicole Richie while married to first wife Debra Harvey. He also shares son Miles and daughter Sofia with his second wife, Diane Alexander.

In 2016, Richie told the Mirror that he would be open to the idea of having children with Parigi. “I’m willing to become a father again. I might have just let a secret slip there, but so be it – Lisa and I are cool with the idea of children.”

Parigi and Richie have not followed through on those hints in the years since that interview. There are no plans for babies, but they do share an adorable dog named Sylvester. The dog even has his own Instagram account, which proclaims in the bio, “I am the boss of the house.”

4. Parigi Has Traveled With Richie to Meet Iconic People Including Pope Francis & Prince Charles

Richie and Parigi have traveled the world together throughout their relationship. She is often by his side for meetings with high-profile figures. In December 2019, the couple met Pope Francis at the Vatican. Parigi wrote on Instagram she felt “blessed” to meet the Pontiff and “so grateful I could share this magical moment with my love @lionelrichie.”

Getty(L-R) Lisa Parigi, Lionel Richie, Prince Charles, and Sir Tom Jones attend a Prince’s Trust International Reception at the Coral Reef Club Hotel on March 19, 2019 in Folkestone, Barbados.

In March 2019, Parigi and Richie traveled to Barbados for an event with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The event benefited the Prince’s Trust, an organization the Prince of Wales founded in 1976. According to the charity’s website, the organization helps “11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed or struggling at school to transform their lives.”

5. Parigi Says Her Favorite Lionel Richie Song Is ‘Stuck On You’

Getty Lisa Parigi and Lionel Richie in 2014

Parigi travels with Richie when he is on tour. She told Hashtag Legend her favorite song by her boyfriend is “Stuck On You.” She explained to the magazine, “Answering this question now is kind of funny because after doing one world tour per year with Lionel and watching every show, night after night, and singing along with every song, I guess it’s safe to say I sing ‘Stuck on You’ a lot.”

It remains to be seen if Parigi and Richie plan to be “stuck on” each other for the rest of their lives. Richie has previously said he has no desire to take a third trip down the aisle.

In a 2016 interview with the Mirror, Parigi confirmed she was not expecting a marriage proposal from Richie and was content with their relationship as it stands. “I don’t need a ring to validate my relationship with him. What we already have is enough.”

But in April 2019, Richie dropped a hint that he could change his mind about asking Parigi to marry him. In an interview with PEOPLE, Richie was asked about this topic and he responded, “There’s always big plans.” But he denied having any a specific timeline about when a marriage proposal could happen.

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