Nicole Richie has never been shy when it comes to sharing the ins and outs of her life throughout her career — and that includes parenting. Nicole shares two kids, daughter Harlow Winter Kate and son Sparrow James Midnight, with husband Joel Madden.
Nicole explained during a December 2024 interview with Glamour that she made the conscious decision to be as honest as possible with her children about her past as they grow up in a famous family.
“I just so clearly remember what it’s like to be a teenager. It feels like it happened yesterday for me. And they know everything I did,” she recalled. “I knew before I had them that I was going to have to be transparent with them about who I was. And I’ve actually found freedom in that.”
Nicole hoped that being “open and honest” with her kids about her own trials and tribulations, lessons learned, wins and losses would allow them to do the same with her.
While Nicole and Joel have kept their kids out of the spotlight, for the most part, the House of Harlow founder has offered some insight into what her home life with a teenage daughter looks like.
“We’re pretty open with each other and we let each other borrow whatever [clothes] we want. She keeps things in really good condition,” Nicole told Extra in October 2025 of her eldest child. “My mom always let me borrow and take anything I wanted. And so that’s just the attitude that we have in our house.”
Nicole noted that her daughter has “a very specific style” when explaining the differences between them.
“She’s effortless and cool and she’s got her own thing going on,” Nicole added.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Nicole’s family:
Who Is Nicole Richie’s Father?
Famed musician Lionel Richie became Nicole’s legal guardian in 1983. He and then-wife Brenda Harvey officially adopted her seven years later
“I think you changed my life a great deal in terms of softening my heart, because everything up to that point was about songwriting and the business and touring,” Lional said of Nicole in a December 2020 interview. “All of a sudden I found something that I could actually fall in love with that was never going to leave me.”
Does Nicole Richie Have Any Siblings?
Lionel and his second wife, Diane Alexander, expanded their family in 1994, welcoming son Miles Richie. Four years later, they welcomed daughter Sofia Richie.
Sofia and her sister, Nicole, share a close bond — one they’ve often discussed publicly.
“She’s such a veteran; she’s really gone through it all,” Sofia said of her sister in a 2023 interview. “She reminds me that ‘not everything needs to be shared; things can be private just for you.’”
Who Is Nicole Richie Married to?
Nicole met Joel in 2006 after a friend set them up. They wed in December 2010.
“Joel is very shy,” Nicole recalled during a 2024 interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “The first night I met him, he actually didn’t speak to me, and I was like, ‘This is my husband.’”
Does Nicole Richie Have Kids?
Nicole and Joel expanded their family in January 2008, welcoming daughter Harlow Winter Kate. While she’s went by Harlow her whole life, Nicole seemingly hinted in January 2026 that her daughter is going by a new moniker.
When celebrating her daughter’s 18th birthday, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Nicole tagged Kate Madden — hinting that Harlow was going by one of her middle names.
Nicole and Joel are also the parents to son Sparrow James Midnight, who was born in September 2009.
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