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Lionel Richie reflects on 'disastrous' fight between first and second wives

Lionel Richie has opened up about the headline-making fight between his first and second wives that occurred 37 years ago.

Back in June 1988, Brenda Harvey was arrested and faced charges of trespassing, vandalism, battery, and disturbing the peace after she found the music superstar at Diane Alexander's apartment in Beverly Hills. The charges were later dropped.

Reflecting on the incident in his new memoir, Truly, Lionel labelled the shocking brawl as the "scandal of my century".

"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," he writes in the book, according to an excerpt obtained by People. "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."

Lionel went on to note that it was hard seeing the "disastrous" scandal play out in the press.

Yet, the "most painful part" was acknowledging how "heartbroken" Brenda was.

"And I get it. Ladies and gentlemen, I get it," the 76-year-old lamented. "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."

Lionel and Brenda, who adopted daughter Nicole Richie together, were married from 1975 until their divorce was finalised in 1993.

The Hello hitmaker was then married to Diane from 1995 until the union ended in 2004. The former couple shares son Miles, 31, and daughter Sofia, 27.

Lionel has been in a relationship with Lisa Parigi since 2014.

Truly is now available to purchase.

Photo: Music-News
Source: Cover Media
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