Lionel Richie: 'I Don't Know If Nicole Is Pregnant/Engaged'

Soul man Lionel Richie is refusing to confirm or deny ongoing reports his daughter Nicole Richie is pregnant and engaged - because he insists he'd be among the last to know.

The Hello singer admits he's as keen to know the truth about reports the socialite Simple Life star is expecting Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden's child and has accepted the rocker's marriage proposal.

But Richie insists his daughter has yet to tell him if the stories are true.

He tells U.S. TV news show Access Hollywood, "Nicole is probably one of those wonderful people that will not tell her father until I keep going, 'Come on Nic. I'm your father. What's going on?' "(She'll say) 'Nothing dad, nothing.' So right now, she's in nothing mode. I don't know. She'll let me know about it at the very last minute.

"It's the natural instinct to call. When she was 18... I'd call her right away. But now she's 25, I kind of wait. I've learned the lesson now. So at this point, I feel that if she doesn't call me, it's not really happening.

"At this point, she's kind of got me on the silent thing, which is OK with me. No news is good news."

Richie has always dreamed of singing at his daughter's wedding, but jokes, "I'm just hoping that it doesn't cost me a fortune."