Sisters Nicole Richie, 39, and Sofia Richie, 22, were on tense terms for a number of years — but the pair have been able to reconcile their differences. “Nicole and Sofia used to not even be able to the same room together. Them reconciling was done very, very quietly and recently. Nicole especially is very private,” an insider close to the family tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, noting that the tension was especially tough for dad Lionel Richie, 71.
“This was really hard for their dad especially. The few times they would be at events together, their teams made sure they were nowhere near each other. It was really sad [for] both of them….She’s always loved Sofia, but the age gap was a lot between them and they just lived their lives differently,” the insider explained. While the sisters never publicly acknowledged that they weren’t speaking, Sofia’s relationship with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, 37, played a role. Notably, Nicole grew up close to the KarJenner clan, particularly Scott’s ex Kourtney Kardashian, 41. Sofia and Scott split in May 2020, and he checked into rehab shortly after.
“It was hard for Nicole to get through to Sofia about things because of this and because of her feelings on Scott,” the source went on. “Nicole and the entire Richie family were not a fan of Sofia being with Scott because of the massive age gap and also the people they felt he surrounded himself with. Now that Sofia and Scott are not together, it’s very easy for Nicole to have a relationship with her sister. It is absolutely because of this break-up that they are able to move forward and have a relationship with one another,” the insider spilled.
Recently, Nicole hosted an at-home art class attended by Sofia, Lionel and her kids. The sisters, along with 12-year-old Harlow, snapped the cutest pic at the event and looked like triplets! “My favorite trio,” Nicole captioned the photo. The event featured several outdoor tables set up with canvases, paint, boxed meals from The Beverly Hills Hotel and mini Moet & Chandon champagne bottles.
“Sofia and Nicole were never super close growing up because they have different mothers,” the source said, referencing Nicole’s now private life with husband Joel Madden, 41, and their kids Harlow, 12, and Sparrow, 11. “Nicole grew up so much since the persona she played on TV [on The Simple Life] which is why she’s maintained such a private, more family lifestyle and she’s taken her sobriety extremely seriously,” our source concluded.
