Biography of Nicole RichieNicole Camille Richie (born September 21, 1981) is an American socialite, actress, author, entrepreneur, style icon, model, and singer. The adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, she is known for her role in the reality show The Simple Life and her turbulent personal life. Richie is currently expecting her first child (due sometime in January 2008) with boyfriend Joel Madden.
Nicole Richie was born Nicole Camille Escovedo in Berkeley, California.[1] Her biological mother was a backstage assistant for Lionel Richie. Lionel Richie ran into Nicole first as a child playing on stage at a Prince concert, her mother was part of the wardrobe group. Nicole was playing a tamborine. Lionel became a guardian first for Nicole and later adopted her.
At age two, Nicole went to live with Lionel and his wife Brenda Harvey-Richie, who began to raise her as their daughter. When she was three years old, Nicole started attending weekly sessions with a psychotherapist and remained in therapy throughout her childhood. When she was nine, the Richies legally adopted Nicole. Shortly after the adoption was formalized, Lionel's affair with another woman became public knowledge. Nicole told Ryan Seacrest that she learned about Lionel's adultery when she read about it in a tabloid. The Richies went through a highly-publicized, bitterly acrimonious split, and, apparently feeling guilty about the end of their marriage, indulged Nicole's every whim. "Their way of making me happy was to say yes to everything I wanted, but I don't think a little girl should have that much freedom", said Richie in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine. In an interview with Nylon magazine, Richie said that her childhood was very dramatic and "I think my struggle right now is to try and find comfort in things not being so chaotic. I'm so used to high drama and high energy all the time - I always sleep TV on."
Her parents' divorce was hurtful and Nicole said: "When my dad divorced my mom it was kind of like him leaving me also. I just really didn't understand why he wasn't returning my phone calls, or why I couldn't see him whenever I wanted to. That was the most hurtful thing to me."
Richie still speaks with her biological mother but has no contact with her biological father. The identity of her biological father is the subject of much speculation. In a November 15, 2005 CNN interview with Seacrest, Richie stated that her birth father (whom she declined to identify) was not a member of Lionel's band. According to an April 2006 Tatler magazine interview with Richie, it is rumored that her biological father is musician Peter Michael Escovedo (brother of musician Sheila E.), but Richie denied this in a November 2005 Jane magazine interview.
Richie has one godmother, Nancy Davis, daughter of Marvin Davis, mother of Brandon Davis; Nancy was related by marriage to Paris Hilton. Richie's godfathers are Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. Jones said in a People magazine interview that he has "known her since she was a baby. She's a very smart girl. When she was younger she worked eight hours a day for eight years to become an Olympic figure skater. She's a very talented girl."
In addition to figure skating, Richie studied the guitar, cello, violin, and piano. In 1986, she started Kindergarten at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California where she met Paris Hilton. Richie graduated from Montclair College Preparatory School in 2000. After high school, she studied Arts and Media for two years at the University of Arizona. She dropped out because: "I went to the University of Arizona. I stopped because I went there for two years and I felt like I experienced college or whatever. I'm over it. I like Hollywood better," she says.
Richie says of her heritage that she is a "mix of everything", and self-identifies as African American.
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