“I’m her biggest fan”: Joel Madden and Nicole Richie’s enduring love story is one for the ages
They refer to their relationship as “sacred ground”.
The relationship between Nicole Richie and Joel Madden has remained steady over the years. And nearly two decades later, they’re still one of Hollywood’s strongest couples.
Here’s a closer look at their romance!
HOW THEY MET
Joel Madden and Nicole Richie met through mutual friends at a party in December 2006. Nicole has said that while Joel was quiet when they first met, she immediately felt a connection. “The first night I met him, he actually didn’t speak to me, and I was like, ‘This is my husband,’” she recalled.
At the time, Nicole was already in the public eye thanks to The Simple Life, and much of her image had been shaped by that early fame. Joel has said he was aware of how she was portrayed but saw her differently.
“I’m super aware of the way the world works, and the narrative of who Nicole was before the ‘us’,” he said on Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast. “But I will say that Nicole has always been the person she is today. I’m her biggest fan, and I was from the first time I met her, because I see someone who’s very strong and has been through a lot and has integrity and self-respect”.
The former The Voice Australia coach added that he views their relationship as “sacred ground”.
KIDS & MARRIAGE
Just months after going public with their romance, Joel and Nicole announced they were expecting their first child together. They welcomed daughter Harlow Winter Kate Madden in January 2008, followed by son Sparrow James Midnight Madden in September 2009.
The couple officially tied the knot in December 2010 in a private (but star-studded) affair held in the backyard of Nicole’s dad Lionel Richie’s Beverly Hills home.
Now parents of two, the couple tend to keep their personal life private. Joel has said they are careful about what they share, especially given their own experiences growing up in the spotlight.
“We know that if we’re not protective of our kids and our family, that everyone else can just tell stories that’ll be memorialised,” Joel shared. “When you’re responsible for your kids especially, you’re just trying to protect them from the world a little bit, and at the same time, you’re trying to teach them how the world works and how we have to move through the world.”
Over time, Joel has continued to speak highly of Nicole, calling himself her “biggest fan” and praising her character.
