Lionel Richie's estranged wife charged in illegal injection case

Jet, Dec 6, 2004

The estranged wife of singer Lionel Richie was recently charged with letting a man use her Beverly Hills home to give illegal anti-wrinkle injections to patients including her and her former husband.

Diane Richie faces two counts of aiding and abetting Daniel Thomas Fuente Serrano, who was not licensed as a doctor or nurse when he gave injections not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, federal prosecutors said.

Ms. Richie was arrested and spent one night in jail but was released on $25,000 bail after appearing in court. A bail hearing was scheduled at JET press time for Serrano, who faces four counts in connection with the alleged injections, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns said.

Serrano allegedly gave numerous people injections of Artecoll and Metacril, which are made by foreign companies and intended to eliminate wrinkles and skin imperfections. Neither has been approved for use in the United States by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

An employee at the Richie residence told investigators that 20 to 40 people came to the home for injections from July to December last year, according to court documents. Serrano allegedly charged his clients thousands of dollars for the injections.

Many of the injections were done in one of the mansion's bathrooms, investigators said. Some treated by Serrano, who is reportedly now Diane Richie's boyfriend, said they suffered ill effects from the injections, including a woman who has a bump on her lip that can make it difficult to drink or speak clearly.

Diane Richie filed for separation in October 2003 and divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences. In March, she asked for $300,000 a month in child and spousal support to support the "extraordinary extravagant lifestyle" the couple had during their nearly seven years of marriage. In her filing, she claimed she spent $56,000 a year in cosmetic surgery and dermatology.