Lionel Richie advises celebs that they can’t be ‘famous and rich without the people’

March 27, 2026

‘American Idol’s’ Lionel Richie (Disney/Brian Bowen Smith)

If you’re a celebrity who’s always complaining about being harassed by your fans, Lionel Richie doesn’t want to hear about it.

Appearing on his son-in-law Joel Madden’s podcast, Artist Friendly, the American Idol judge explained that anyone who wants to be in showbiz better be sure they’re ready for everything that might come with it.

“I tell people when they get into the business there’s one thing you didn’t calculate. I hope you like people,” he said. “If you don’t like people, here’s how it’s going to sound. You spend the first half of your career going, ‘Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.’ And then you finally get famous. ‘Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me. Don’t look at me.'”

“And I’m going, ‘Okay, now, the universe gave you what you were asking for,'” Lionel continued. “Now, what is that about people you don’t like? Oh, you want to be famous and rich without the people?…It doesn’t work like that. You have to be able to engage.”

Lionel also said that he never wants anyone to come away from an encounter with him with a negative feeling.

“Sometimes you meet the person you idolize the most and you’re sorry you met them,” he explained. “I made a promise to myself. I’m never going to be that.”

He went on to say that fans are “scared to death of you. They want to say something to you. And you can see it on their face. They want to say something. And for me to ignore them would be the worst.”