Gossip about Nicole Richie "hurts" Lionel

If it were up to Lionel Richie, he’d put an end to all the speculation about his daughter Nicole’s waistline. The singer recently confessed to “Access Hollywood� that the media attention Nicole receives about her physique really bothers him.

Lionel said, "I'll be honest with you, it hurts me more than it hurts her. I must tell you, I'm the basket case." When asked if he has confronted his daughter about her extreme weight loss over the last few years, he said, "Of course, I mean, what are fathers for if you can't point the finger every once in awhile. I think the good part of it is she is aware of it…She has heard this all of her life from me, so this just a continuation of the reminder."

Lionel recently cast Nicole in a video for a single from his upcoming album, Coming Home. The album will be released on September 12.