Sofia Richie revealed that she converted to Judaism ahead of her wedding to music executive Elliot Grainge.
The 24-year-old, who is the daughter of Lionel Richie and his ex Diane Alexander, posted the news on her Instagram Story on Tuesday. Her post, which included a photo of herself sitting at a table, also came nearly a year after she announced her engagement to Grainge, who is Jewish.
“What a magical day. I want to thank cantor Nathan Lam for helping me along this journey of converting to Judaism. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Today was that day!!!” Richie completed the caption with four Jewish star emojis.
Richie’s soon-to-be husband, the son of Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, has previously opened up about being raised Jewish. Back in 2013, he spoke to JewishBoston about the band that he had during his bar mitzvah, a coming-of-age religious ceremony that happens on a boy’s 13th birthday.
“Take That played at my bar mitzvah!” he said. “They were No. 1 in the UK at the time. The party was great fun and gave me a real taste of how to create an exciting party.”
Richie has also discussed her religious upbringing and how she attended Oaks Christian, a school based in Los Angeles, when she was a child.
“I went there for two years, and that’s where I got my sense,” she told Complex in 2016. “My family wanted church to be a place where we all went together. My dad was always travelling and my mom was always working. School is where I did Bible classes and studied God.”
At the time, she noted how much God meant to her and called her faith “the most interesting thing in [her] life”.
Richie’s recent conversion to Judaism comes amid her wedding preparations. She even shared photos on Instagram from her bridal party in February. A month later, she also shared a photo of herself in black jeans and a sweater, with a reference to her big day in the caption.
“The countdown begins,” she wrote, along with an emoji of a bride.
After she announced her engagement in April 2022, Richie’s famous father went on to praise her fiancé.
“I love Elliot, known him since he was 12, how about that? So, it’s one of those things where I don’t have to go back and check out the kid, I know who he is,” the singer said, during an interview with Access Hollywood. “They’re so happy. And as a papa and as a dad, you know, that’s my little girl. So, she’s in good hands. It was wonderful. They’re deeply in love, so all I can say is that’s all you really want as a dad.”
