Lionel Richie Uncertain About Grandfatherhood

Mon., Jul. 9, 2007 11:35 AM PDT by Sarah Hall

If Nicole Richie is indeed in the family way, there's one member of her family she apparently hasn't informed.

After performing at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans Saturday, Lionel Richie said he didn't know if his daughter was pregnant, but admitted he was not sure he was prepared to be a grandfather if she was.

"Grandpa, man, that's wild," he told People. "I don't know if I'm going to be grandpa, I don't know if I'm ready to be called grandpa."

However, if widespread speculation can be believed, he may want to take a crash course in Grandparenting 101.

Though Nicole has yet to officially confirm that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Joel Madden, a close pal told E! Online's Ted Casablanca last month that the slim star was pregnant and that friends and family were already shopping for baby gifts. The speculation further ramped up with cover stories in Us Weekly, In Touch and Life & Style.

Nicole's rep declined to confirm the rabid reproduction rumors last week, telling E! News: "[We have] nothing to report."

Meanwhile, a possible due date isn't the only thing penciled in on Nicole's calendar.

The Simple Life star is facing trial on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence stemming from her December arrest. If convicted, she could face up to a year behind bars due to a prior drunken-driving conviction in 2003.

A pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday, but Nicole is not expected to attend.

Lionel Richie expressed support for his 25-year-old daughter, saying she was "just in an unfortunate situation," and that her legal problems were simply a factor of her youth.

"She keeps apologizing to me," he said. "I told her, 'You're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing to your father at this age.'"

He said that modern technology has made it harder for the current generation of celebrities to lead private lives.

"There's just so much information out there right now—MySpace, cell phones, the Internet," he said. "If we had had all that when the Commodores were around, God only knows what my mother and father would have seen."

Despite all the advances in communication, the R&B star acknowledged he was somewhat out of touch with his daughter.

"Nicole, baby, call me!" he entreated.

Maybe he's expecting some big news.