Nicole Richie, American television actress, singer, author and fashion designer, was born September 21, 1981. At the age of nine she was adopted by soul sing Lionel Richie and his then wife Brenda Harvey Richie. Shortly after her adoption Lionel’s affair with another woman became public knowledge and the Richies went through a bitter break up.


Richie has two famous Godfathers: Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. When Jackson was charged with improper sexual behavior with children Richie was there to defend him. She admitted that she often visited Neverland Ranch and slept in his bedroom without unreasonable behavior.


She attended kindergarten at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, where she met her lifetime friend Paris Hilton. She went to Montclair College Preparatory School and studied Arts and Media for two years at the University of Arizona.


Richie became best known after her role in the reality TV series “The Simple Life”. The series debuted in 2003. The show focused on Richie and Paris Hilton’s silly antics living in a rural town.


Richie’s wild persona received a tremendous amount of publicity from the press. She was arrested for DUI in 2003 and 2006, and had many issues with drug about during her teen years and early twenties. She has also had problems with her weight that received a lot of press.


Richie wrote her first book in 2005 called “The Truth About Diamonds”. The novel is fictional, but the main character is an adopted daughter of a famous singer, just like Richie. Her second novel is called “Priceless” and was released September 28, 2010. This book is about a rich girl who loses everything and learns what is important in life.


In 2006 Richie began dating Joel Madden, lead singer of the pop punk rock band ”Good Charlotte”. They have two children together: daughter Harlow Winter Kate Richie-Madden (born January 11, 2008) and son Sparrow James Midnight Richie-Madden (born September 9, 2009). They were married on December 11, 2010 on her father Lionel’s estate.


Richie spends a great deal of her time in philanthropy these days. She and her husband created a foundation called The Richie Madden Children’s Foundation. They have worked closely with UNICEF and other charity organizations to raise money and help children.