Nicole Richie Biography

NAME: Nicole Richie

OCCUPATION: Fashion Designer, Reality Television Star

BIRTH DATE: September 21, 1981 (Age: 30)

EDUCATION: Buckley School, Montclair Preparatory School, University of ArizonaTucson

PLACE OF BIRTH: Berkeley, California

Synopsis

Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley, California, on September 21, 1981, and at age three, for financial reasons, Nicole moved in with her father's band mate, Lionel Richie, and his wife. Six years later, the Richies officially adopted Nicole. In 2003, Richie starred with childhood friend Paris Hilton in The Simple Life. Since then she has written a novel and gotten married.

Early Life

Socialite, actress. Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley, California, on September 21st, 1981. Her biological mother was a backstage assistant for singer and musician Lionel Richie. Her biological father is often cited as Peter Michael Escovedo, a member of Lionel Richie's band and brother to pop percussionist Sheila E., but this has not been confirmed.

At age three, for financial reasons, Nicole moved in with her father's bandmate Lionel, and Lionel's wife Brenda Harvey-Richie. Six years later, the Richies officially adopted Nicole.

Shortly after the adoption, Lionel's affair with another woman became fodder for the tabloids. Apparently feeling guilty about their highly-publicized divorce, the Richies indulged Nicole's every whim.

Involvement in Acting and Music

Ten days after leaving rehab, Nicole was reunited with childhood friend Paris Hilton to star in The Simple Life, after Paris' sister, Nicky, bowed out. Richie continued working with Hilton through their very public falling out, but reconciled in 2006 before starring in their show's fifth season.

Nicole also pursued a musical career, joining the rock band Darling in 2004, featuring model Josie Maran and socialite sisters Soleil and Sofia Alberti. Richie then made her acting debut as a cheerleader in the movie Kids in America in 2005. Richie went on to write a semi-autobiographical novel, The Truth About Diamonds in 2005.

Richie’s acting debut helped to turn media attention away from her troubled and difficult past. Sadly, she experienced a turbulent adolescence, which she later blamed on her parents’ divorce. From a very early age she became involved in alcohol and substance abuse. Richie herself has openly admitted that she smoked marijuana at the age of 13, then progressed to cocaine a year later. At 19, she was injecting heroin. After she reached 24, she told an interviewer for Vanity Fair magazine that she considered herself to be a drug addict. “Although I am slowly learning how to deal with my problems, I am now leaning towards drinking more than drugs”, she said. She was arrested in 2003 for “driving under the influence,” and had her license suspended. She was arrested again in December 2006, when she admitted using marijuana and Vikodin.

Notwithstanding Richie’s troubled history of drug and alcohol abuse, ‘The Simple Life’ was a huge success with television audiences worldwide. Series one opened with the two girls living for a whole month with a family in the backwaters of rural Arkansas. In the second series, Hilton and Richie travelled in the southern states of America, driving a pink pick-up truck and living in a trailer. In the third series, Fox TV challenged the girls to go and live with no less than 16 different families carefully selected from various towns up and down the East coast.

2010 was the year that Richie chose to return to writing and published her second novel, ‘Priceless’, which tells the tale of a girl who finds perspective when she loses everything. She has two children with her husband, Joel Madden, who is lead singer with the band Good Charlotte. The pair were married at Lionel Richie's Beverly Hills mansion in December 2010, and she asked her dad not to sing at the ceremony.

In a recent interview he admitted that he broke his promise when the singer who had been hired for the reception handed him the microphone. He said: “I got through the first and second verse of ‘You Are’. People started applauding and I said, 'This wasn't in the budget, I don't think we can afford Lionel Richie.” He added: “Regardless of how hip I think I am, I’m still under the title 'parent'. I sat down and it was Nic and Joel’s night.”