The family life! Nicole Richie and her husband, Joel Madden, began dating in 2006 — and became first-time parents two years later.
“When I first would see [Nicole] around, we were friends. But I don’t think I’m the obvious choice,” the Good Charlotte musician told Australia’s 60 Minutes in April 2013 of the early days of their relationship. “I’m always like, ‘Just give me a shot. Just give me one date.’ If I can get my foot in the door …”.
The Simple Life alum, for her part, told Ocean Drive Magazine in March 2012 that she was “going through a difficult time with my family” when she first met the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” singer, noting that their relationship helped her get through the rough time. “Having him have such a strong foundation really opened the doors and brought both of our families together,” she added.
The fashion designer gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Harlow, in January 2008, and the two welcomed their son, Sparrow, in September 2009. The following year, Richie announced that she and Madden were engaged. They tied the knot that December.
Ahead of the premiere of her NBC sitcom Great News, Richie revealed that balancing her mom life with work was made a lot easier by her kids’ excitement to join her on set. “They were with me throughout the whole process,” she told E! News in March 2017.
Richie has remained busy over the years with roles in Bless This Mess, Nikki Fre$h and Cursed Friends in addition to founding her lifestyle brand, House of Harlow, in 2008. However, the Priceless author exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2018 that there’s nothing she loves more than to “be in sweats” and “shut off” at home with her husband and kids.
While Richie and Madden have primarily kept their kids’ lives out of the public eye, the couple occasionally share glimpses into the family’s private lives via social media. In September 2020, Nicole’s younger sister, Sofia Richie, shared a rare photo of Harlow posing with her and Nicole via Instagram. “My favorite trio,” the model captioned the post.
Madden, for his part, often commemorates holidays such as Mother’s Day and Halloween with pics of his kids. “Happy Mother’s Day to one of the greatest of all time❤️ We love you @nicolerichie ❤️,” the musician captioned a slideshow of pics of his family of four in May 2022.
Harlow made headlines on Mother’s Day in May 2023 after the teen appeared all grown up in a sweet Instagram pic. “We all love you. Happy Mothers Day Queen,” Nicole captioned a pic of herself, Sofia, Harlow and her mother, Brenda Harvey. (Harvey and ex-husband Lionel Richie adopted Nicole when she was 9 years old.)
Scroll below to see Richie and Madden’s sweetest family photos over the years:
