Sofia Richie is the youngest daughter of legendary singer and songwriter Lionel Richie.
At just 19 years old, she’s already joined the ranks of celebrity ‘It’ children – the offspring of some of the world’s most famous faces – and counts Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, as one of her closest friends.
And as of three days ago, she’s officially announced she is dating Keeping Up With The Kardashians personality Scott Disick.
The same Scott who is the father of three children with Kourtney Kardashian. The same Scott who is 15 years Sofia’s senior.
Neither Scott nor Sofia are strangers to having their intimate relationships play out in the public sphere.
For almost 14 seasons, Scott’s rollercoaster relationship with Kourtney – who he met before the TV series that made the family famous ever hit our screens – has played out for millions of Americans.
The couple's many therapy sessions, break-ups, Scott's treatment in rehab facilities for alcohol addiction, and a confession earlier this year that he was a "horrible sex addict" have all been on full display to the public.
Overnight, ex-partner Kourtney made claims on the E! show that Disick was "with a different hooker every day" towards the conclusion of their relationship.
On one hand, we have a teenager, barely out of school. On the other? A much older man, notorious for leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Unsurprisingly, there's something about this relationship, the pairing of these two particular individuals, that is making onlookers more than a little uncomfortable. Although a 15-year age difference is far from significant, it's hardly the most pressing issue at play when it comes to Sofia and Scott.
LISTEN: The reason no babies were announced in the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians season 14. Post continues after audio.
Growing up in the spotlight, as Sofia has done, has surely forced her to grow up more quickly than some other women her age. Perhaps she's more mature, having been surrounded by 'grown-ups' for most of her life.
Besides, we've seen plenty of other high-profile relationships with the same - if not bigger - age differences thrive.
Perhaps it's more the fact that in the weeks following Scott's 'sex addict' confession and leading up to his 'Instagram official' relationship with Sofia, he has been linked to a number of women.
This year alone, Disick has been linked to his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend (and Sofia's long time friend) Chloe Bartoli, 19-year-old actress Bella Thorne and 20-year-old model Bella Banos.
Disick, it seems, has a penchant for those much younger and, perhaps, naive than he is.
As soon as the public believes Scott has 'settled down' with a new love, he's spotted partying with someone else. And the young ex? Discarded.
It's precisely due to this reputation that Sofia's own father Lionel Richie has made public his "reservations" about his youngest daughter's new relationship.
Speaking to Us Weekly, the 68-year-old admitted he was "scared to death" of Sofia's new relationship with Scott.
This, coming from a father who watched his oldest daughter, Nicole, go through bouts of drug addiction, rehab programs and face jail time.
Lionel Richie's words feel uncomfortably familiar for every mother and father who has seen their child enter an imbalanced relationship like this.
Whatever the reasoning behind our collective wariness about the new relationship, the consensus remains the same: the pairing seems odd, precarious and just feels a little... off.
Top Comments
The age difference, on its own, is not a problem, in my book.
U could also look at this pairing as a fame hungry young girl going after a damaged man to increase her celebrity... doesn't really fit the narrative of the man being a predator and woman always being a victim though.