Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Treva BowdoinLionel Richie's daughter, Sofia Richie, found who she was looking for years before she got married — but she just didn't realize it yet. Before she said "Hello" to her new life as Elliot Grainge's wife in April 2023, she dated two fellow nepo babies, Jaden Smith and Brooklyn Beckham, as well as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star Scott Disick and singer Justin Bieber. She already knew Elliot when she was experimenting with dating celebs, and his dad, Lucian Grainge, the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group (UMG), knew one of her exes. The Biebs is signed with UMG, and in 2020, he showed up to support his boss when Lucian got inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other entertainers who celebrated the moment with him included Shawn Mendes, Tori Kelly, and Sam Smith, per Variety.
As reported by Vogue, There were also plenty of famous faces in attendance at Sofia and Elliot's wedding in the South of France, including Paris Hilton and all of Sofia's familial connections: Nicole Richie and her husband Joel Madden, whose brother Benji Madden also scored an invite. Benji was accompanied by his wife, Cameron Diaz. Then there was the father of the bride, who told Access that Elliot decided to go the old-fashioned route by asking for permission to wed Sofia. "He was a nervous wreck," Lionel recalled. But thanks to his long history with the Richie family, Elliot had nothing to worry about.
Elliot Grainge and Sofia Richie knew each other as kids
Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesElliot Grainge and Sofia Richie's dads go way back, thanks to their involvement in the music industry. In fact, they're such good pals that Lionel Richie was asked to speak at Lucian Grainge's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony in 2020. Lionel hilariously got Lucian to sing the word "Hello!" to prove that the exec can carry a tune, per The Hollywood Fix.
While speaking to ET about Sofia and Elliot's sweet love story, Lionel said, "I've known Elliot since he was 9, so interestingly enough, I didn't have to vet the kid. I know who he is!" Just like his father and father-in-law, Elliot is involved in the music industry, so this likely scored him a few extra points with Lionel. He's the co-founder of his own indie record label called 10k Projects, which boasts an impressive roster of artists, including rap phenoms Ice Spice and Trippie Redd.
When rumors about Elliot and Sofia first began circulating in April 2021, a source told ET that they ran in the same social circle long before a romantic spark ignited between them. "They have been friends for years and Elliot is also close with Sofia's brother, Miles," the insider dished. "It's very nice for Sofia to date someone who her family approves of and likes." After the couple tied the knot in April 2023, Sofia shared some sage advice with her Instagram followers: "Marry your best friend!!!"
Did Scott Disick play a role in their relationship?
Denise Truscello/Getty ImagesThe 2007 Dane Cook movie "Good Luck Chuck" is about a guy who is a good luck charm for every woman he dates — as soon as their relationship ends. Poor Chuck always loses the girl, and as soon as she's single, she finds her soulmate. Some fans theorized that Scott Disick was burdened with the same curse after two of his exes, Sofia Richie and Kourtney Kardashian, got married.
Disick seemingly responded to Richie and Elliot Grainge's 2022 engagement by comparing himself to Cook's unlucky-in-love character. "In the 305 just call me good luck chuck," he wrote on Instagram. But don't worry — the wealthy bachelor was consoling himself by cruising around in a sleek speedboat. Disick's followers found his self-deprecating joke amusing, but he and Chuck weren't quite in the same boat. After he and Kardashian broke up in 2015, she was romantically linked to Richie's ex Justin Bieber, Younes Bendjima, and Luka Sabbat before she started dating Travis Barker. Kardashian and the Blink-182 drummer wed in 2022. As for Richie, she briefly dated Cha Cha Matcha co-founder Matthew Morton after her split from Disick.
But perhaps Disick helped Richie in another way: by making her realize she didn't want to settle down with a reality show star. Speaking to Us Weekly about why Elliot Grainger was Richie's perfect match, a source dished, "She loves that he's low-key and isn't someone who craves the spotlight." The shade!
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