Seb Coe is dating Lionel Richie’s glamorous ex-wife: Twice-married World Athletics boss, 69, has found love again with US model and fashion designer Diane Richie, 58

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Sebastian Coe is dating Lionel Richie’s glamorous ex-wife, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Lord Sebastian Coe, the British Olympic champion who now leads World Athletics, has been dating American model and fashion designer Diane Richie for several months. Coe is 69 years old, and Richie is 58.

Diane and Lionel Richie were married for nine years and have two children together: Miles, 31, and Sofia, 27. They divorced in 2004.

Lord Coe, a twice-divorced man himself, is clearly committed to Ms. Richie, bringing her as his guest to what is likely his most significant professional event in 2025.

The couple recently met through friends, and for the athlete, a third marriage may be in the future.

The two-time Olympic champion, who won gold in the 1500m race at both the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Games, appeared delighted as he embraced Diane at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on November 30th.

I was so interested to see them finally step out together on the red carpet! It comes after whispers started in the US back in July that the former athlete had rekindled things with Sarah Robarts, a lovely PR professional based in Los Angeles. Apparently, it was a very low-key reconnection, but now they’re clearly enjoying being back in the public eye together.

Seb and Sarah were previously engaged for nine months before splitting in 2023. 

Although they spent time together over the summer, reports of a romantic reconciliation this year are untrue. They are simply friends, according to a source.

It seems the former Conservative MP, a member of the House of Lords for 22 years, is now in a relationship with Diane Richie, who was born Alexander.

Lord Coe has four children from his first marriage to Nicky McIrvine but the pair split in 2002. 

He wed journalist Carole Annett in 2011 but separated from her in early 2020.

Despite separating over 20 years ago, Diane Richie and Lionel maintain a good relationship as they co-parent their children and enjoy time with their grandchildren.

The couple’s divorce in 2004 allegedly involved a $20 million settlement, and they cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for the split.

People said she received thousands of dollars each month for clothing and had a yearly budget specifically for cosmetic surgery.

I remember reading a CNN report years ago, back in 2004, where it said Nicole told a judge that she and her then-partner routinely spent over $300,000 every month. It was a staggering amount, even back then!

In a public statement, she revealed her monthly spending includes $15,000 on clothes and shoes, $3,000 for skincare, and $1,000 for laser hair removal.

She also said she spent $600 a month on hair care, $250 on manicures, $450 on facials, and $1,100 on fitness, including personal training and pilates.

She reported yearly costs of $20,000 for cosmetic surgery and $125,000 for her son’s boarding school in Colorado.

She wrote:  ‘(Lionel Richie) and I had an extraordinary extravagant lifestyle.

We routinely spent over $300,000 each month and had the financial freedom to spend as much as we wanted on anything we desired. There was no spending limit for me.

The divorce documents didn’t reveal how much money she was asking for from Lionel, but reports later surfaced claiming the settlement reached $20 million.

Lionel Richie has amassed a fortune estimated to be over $200 million through his successful career both as a solo artist and as a member of The Commodores, where he famously sang “Three Times a Lady.”

Lionel Richie is best known for songs like ‘Hello’, ‘All Night Long’, ‘Say You, Say Me’, and ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’. He also famously sang ‘Endless Love’ as a duet with Diana Ross.

In his new memoir, Truly: An Inspirational Journey Through the Life of a Musical Legend, Lionel recently shared details about the argument that led to his divorce from Brenda Harvey. The fight occurred while he was also in a relationship with Diane.

The book reveals previously untold stories from his life, including a dramatic argument between his first and future wives.

Following the event, Brenda was arrested in 1988 and accused of spousal abuse, resisting the police, and assault.

Lionel was allegedly kicked in the stomach in the fracas at Diane’s apartment in Beverly Hills.

The singer revealed that Brenda and he had secretly separated. He’d moved to a beachside place to escape and find some peace, explaining that the situation was incredibly difficult for everyone involved.

He recalled driving into town one morning and stopping ‘to see Diane.’

‘Shortly after I arrive, there is a knock at the door,’ he recounted. 

The door swung open and Brenda was there, immediately causing a huge argument. Diane was completely stunned, and I attempted to slip away, hoping to distract Brenda.

He called the argument “the worst screaming match of my life,” saying it happened in a tiny entryway.

Lionel wrote, questioning how to even begin to address such a devastating event. He asked, ‘How do you physically deal with a tragedy unfolding before your eyes?’

He and Brenda eventually left the house, but the singer said Brenda later returned and continued the argument.

The neighbors subsequently called the police and ‘charges were brought and then dropped.’

Brenda was arrested and faces potential charges of domestic violence, resisting police, and assault, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

And Lionel told them he was ‘kicked in the stomach area’ by Brenda during the argument.

In retrospect, the entertainer said the story ‘took on a life of its own.’

Honestly, the thing that destroyed me reading his book wasn’t the big stuff, it was learning Brenda was hurting. That was the real tragedy, at least to me. It just absolutely broke my heart to know she was heartbroken – that was the worst part of everything, truly.

Someone pointed out that you can’t predict how you’ll react or what you’ll experience until you’re actually facing a situation, and none of us had ever been in one like this before.

He explained that everyone involved deserved some understanding because no one knew how things would unfold. He described the situation as chaotic and unpleasant. Before that day, he remembered feeling unsure about whether he wanted to try and fix the relationship and avoid a separation.

But after the incendiary fight, he was sure the marriage was over.   

Two years after meeting Diane, Lionel got married, and they had two children together. However, after nine years, they ended up getting divorced.

Diane’s online profiles reveal she’s a talkative person and a mother to Miles and Sofia. She also identifies as someone who enjoys staying home, is introverted, easily moved to tears, battles lupus, and is passionately devoted to her plants.

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2025-12-13 03:40