Nicole Richie
Richie in 2010, Joe Seer/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Nicole Camille Escovedo
Place of Birth: Berkeley, Alameda, California, United States
Date of Birth: September 21, 1981
Ethnicity: Mexican [Spanish, Indigenous], African-American, Louisiana Creole [French, African, and distant English], other European
Nicole Richie is an American socialite, television personality, fashion designer, author, and actress. She became famous starring in the reality show The Simple Life, alongside Paris Hilton. Her rap name is Nikki Fre$h.
Nicole was adopted by singer Lionel Richie and Brenda Harvey, who were married then. Her legal half-sister is model Sofia Richie, who is Lionel’s biological daughter. She is married to musician Joel Madden, with whom she has two children.
Nicole’s biological parents are Karen Moss and Peter Michael Escovedo. Peter was a band member of Lionel Richie’s band, and is a percussionist and musical director. Karen was said to have been a backstage assistant of the band. The two were said to have left Nicole in Lionel’s care because they could not provide for her. Nicole’s biological father is of Mexican, including Spanish and Indigenous, and Louisiana Creole, including French, African, and distant English, ancestry, descent; and is the brother of singer, drummer, and percussionist Sheila E. (born Sheila Escovedo). Nicole’s biological mother is likely black and/or mixed-race black. Nicole still keeps in contact with her biological mother.
Nicole’s biological paternal grandfather is Pete Escovedo (Peter Michael Escovedo, the son of Pedro “Peter” Escovedo Barrera and Anita L. Valenzuela). Pete was born in California, and is a percussionist. Pedro was a Mexican immigrant, from Saltillo, Coahuila, and had Spanish and Indigenous Mexican ancestry. Pedro’s parents were Manuel Escovedo Rodríguez and María Hipólita Barreda Escobedo. Anita was also of Mexican origin.
Nicole’s biological paternal grandmother is Juanita Marie Garderé (the daughter of Nicholas Alphonse Garderé and Marie Laura Pelletier). Juanita was born in California. Nicholas and Marie were Lousiana Creoles (of French, African, and distant English, ancestry). Nicholas was the son of Ernest Alphonse Garderé and Louise Mary Leclerc. Marie was the daughter of Joseph Ernest Pelletier and Marie Laetar Laure Nabonne.
Source: Genealogy of Nicole Richie (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
She’s Spanish, Native and African, and yet she is THIS LIGHT?
She looks like a full Greek or Middle Eastern to me anyway, and can pass as one. She reminds me of Rita Ora, who is also full Caucasian.
@Cap
Quote:
(She’s Spanish, Native and African, and yet she is THIS LIGHT?)
You guys crack me up, with your preconceived notions of what a person of mixed ethnicity is supposed to look like
And you crack me when you think someone with European and recent African ancestry would generally look WHITE. Yes, in rarity they can be more on the white side. But you always have to be suspicious. Remember, this is the comments section. Relax.
@Capricious its not rare. if you have been around enough black and mixed people alot of them are born looking very very light skinned, almost white. My uncle is only 25% white and he is pink skin pale. Only the media makes it seem rare because alot of mixed people pass for white or people just think are are fully white.
Quote( if you have been around enough black and mixed people alot of them are born looking very very light skinned, almost white.)
That’s exactly how me and my siblings were
And you make me laugh when you think someone with European and recent African ancestry would generally look WHITE. Yes, in rarity they can be more on the white side. So that’s why I commented. Relax.
At first glance anyway I would think that she’s a Sephardi Jew.
@Capricious
I’m very relaxed, I’m just doing the same as you by
commenting. Now it’s not a rarity , I have give many example over the time I’ve been on the site , of mixed bloods who look completely white. Also if a mixed who looked completely white was standing right in front of you, you wouldn’t know unless he/she told you. Just like if you saw Lucy and Maria Aylmer walking down the street, your mind wouldn’t think they were sisters, much less twins
Look that’s true. You can’t always tell who’s mixed and isn’t.
But when it comes to African and whites, it’s very obvious. And most of the time, they look on the African side. I don’t mean it as a bad thing of course, it’s just what I see.
@Capricious
First you say,You can’t always tell who’s mixed and isn’t. However, you contradict yourself by saying But when it comes to African and whites, it’s very obvious. Which one is it ? In your early comment, you admit to there being rarities, so therefore by your own statement, it isn’t always obvious. the truest part of your comment is when you stated (it’s just what you have seen ). That’s the whole point about passing as white, is not to advertise that you’re part black. The people that either have met, or you see online, want you to know
@Capricious just go on youtube and google DNA tests , most people who are 25%-30% black subsaharan or less African tend to look fully white. And 25% and 30% is still a large amount of black African dna. Alot of Puerto Ricans are 25% black and can pass for Southern European. youtube video links . THIS WHITE LOOKING PUERTO RICAN GIRL IS ONLY 60% EUROPEAN AND 20% BLACK AFRICAN, rest native. Lots more like her
Links: https://youtu.be/Cud1GJA-8jA
I forgot to add that Pedro was the son of Manuel Escovedo Rodríguez and María Hipólita Barreda Escobedo. Take note of the spelling between Barrera and Barreda. It is not a typographical error because Pedro’s maternal family name is Barrera as reflected on his baptismal record (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11771-34856-90?cc=1502401&wc=MKCQ-4WL:64891201,64891202,65574301 ) while her mother María’s paternal family name is Barreda as reflected on her baptismal record.
Pete is the son of Pedro “Peter” Escovedo Barrera and Anita L. Valenzuela. Pedro was a Mexican immigrant, from Saltillo, Coahuila.
Here’s Pedro’s obituary: http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040219/news_1m19escovedo.html
I have no info about Anita yet. I am not sure if this was her divorce from Salvador Rodriguez: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPRS-S9C
I am sure that Nicole’s Mexican ancestry includes indigenous Mexican because of her ancestors’ (Felipe Rodríguez de la Serna and María de Jesus Tornera Rodríguez) marriage record’s castes: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11084-112553-82 (Please, don’t cite this because this is now too far. I comment this to verify her specific Mexican ancestry. So far, no Spanish or African ancestry has been verified yet.)
She has stated a number of times in interviews that she is part black
That’s from her paternal grandmother’s side. I am talking about her paternal grandfather’s side. :)
Its low in comparison to her other ethnic makeup.
Nicole’s Mexican ancestry also includes Spanish because one of her ancestors, Manuel Domingo Barreda y Olmedo, was recorded on the baptismal records for ethnic Spanish: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6PLQ-NTG
She’s pretty! Omg I thought she was full italian!
She looks part Indian.