Quantcast
RELATED

So, if you've hopped on Twitter anytime recently, you too may have seen Lionel Richie trending for the past few days. And thankfully, he is alive and oh so well, in all the best ways possible, mostly because the American Idol judge has clearly gotten allllll his little groove back, chile.

Lemme explain.

On Valentine's Day, the 71-year-old crooner took to social media to wish all his dearest fans a Happy Valentine's Day. He was posed next to a woman, and cheesing from cheek-to-cheek in a post captioned:

"Love is in the air and #AmericanIdol is back on our screens TONIGHT on @abcnetwork at 8/7c! Happy Valentine's Day from @lisaparigi_ and I"

Well, his fans didn't give a damn about what he was saying, and was immediately drawn to the snack that he was posed next to.

Her name is Lisa Parigi, and according to her Insta, she's from Switzerland and is founder of vegan skincare brand, Glow Up Beauty. And despite numerous reports, no one really knows her actual age, but there is a clear age difference between her and the "Hello" singer. Additionally, my favorite thing about sis, is she's been around, and their love hasn't been a secret whatsoever...

Because, as it turns out, sis has reportedly been bae since 2014, she was just waiting for us to catch up!

Richie has been married twice before—once to Brenda Harvey and the other, Diane Alexander—and he has three adult children, Nicole, Miles, and Sofia.

And since we all know that in Hollywood, age gaps aren't new, and never will be, so we shouldn’t be making a fuss, right? I mean, she seems to be a completely sane adult entering a consensual relationship with someone who just so happens to be a...*few*...generations older.

It made me wonder though, in love and war, is age really just a number?

After all, Gabrielle Union is 10 years older than Dwyane Wade:

Eddie Murphy is 19 years older than his partner, Paige Butcher:

Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Jennifer Lopez was 18 years older than Casper Smart when they dated:

DFree / Shutterstock.com

Marques Houston married Miya Dickey last year—who's about 20 years his junior:

And Jay Z is 12 years older than Beyonce:

Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

So, when, if ever, is the gap worth having the conversation?

--

Well, as you probably can imagine, the internet had a LOT to say:

From comedy...

Twitter

To optimism...

Twitter

To support...

Twitter

...every corner of the conversation was touched on.

--

As of today, Lionel has yet to respond to his newfound couple's popularity, but I have a feeling he's unbothered, and, if anything, beyond happy and more than proud to have her on his arm.

But. Hmm.

When it comes to relationships, is age really just a number?

Featured image by Lionel Ritchie / Instagram

 

RELATED

 
ALSO ON XONECOLE
Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney & Jill Marie Jones On 'Games Women Play' & Dating Over 40

What do you get when you mix unfiltered truths, high-stakes romance, and a few well-timed one-liners? You get Games Women Play—the sizzling new stage play by Je’Caryous Johnson that’s part relationship rollercoaster, part grown-woman group chat.

KEEP READINGShow less
Candid waist up portrait of happy black woman as young bride embracing bridesmaids during wedding ceremony

I don’t know what it is about me when it comes to television (or web) series. Usually, I won’t watch them when they’re airing in “real time;” it’ll be a couple of years later, and then I’ll binge-watch and become a fan. Such was the case withChef Julian (the real ones know). And while watching it, someone who I found to be so pretty was the main character’s forever-on-again-off-again girlfriend Mo’. Real name? Javicia Leslie. If you’re not familiar with her, on one of the episodes, Julian jokes about her resembling Tatiana Ali — and he would be correct.

Anyway, it’s always cool to see people rise in their craft. A couple of years ago, Javicia made history as the first Black woman to play one of the characters of the DC Universe (Batwoman, to be exact). And why is she relevant to this particular article? It’s basically because, a couple of years before that, she had the lead in a cute film entitledAlways a Bridesmaid. On some levels, she even inspired the decision to write this piece.

KEEP READINGShow less
LATEST POSTS