Joel Madden had a flight from London to Lisboa, Portugal on British Airways on Saturday. Madden has full arm tattoos and was outrageously told by a British Airways employee that he would have to cover up with a long sleeve shirt before boarding. He quietly put on a shirt, it’s unknown if he had one in his carry-on luggage or if he had to buy one, and boarded the plane. Madden also chronicled the whole incident for his nearly one hundred thousand followers on Twitter. I wonder when we’ll hear a statement from British Airways that they don’t discriminate against passengers’ tattoos and that this was just one rogue employee acting out of order:

Was just told by a british air person I can’t get on the plane till I cover my tatts. Should I fight the power?
7:56 PM Apr 25th from TwitterBerry

I really actually am in shock he won’t let me on the plane till I put long sleeves on and other BA rep is disagreeing
7:57 PM Apr 25th from TwitterBerry

Finally in Lisbon. What a long trip.
about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

I still can’t believe Brit Air discriminated me for tatts. Unheard of. the guy was literally disgusted by me. I’m gonna write a letter!!
about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Long ass trip. Finally got to the hotel and geuss what!! No rooms!!! Ahhh!!! Haha gotta laugh sometimes
about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

I did end up covering my tats. Its not my style to cause a scene I just had a convo with the BA guy told him how it was discrimination
about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

IN Lisbon at the LOST video shoot. Having fun. Long day though!
about 15 hours ago from web

@BritishAirways would i be allowed to bring my tattoos if took advantage of this offer?
about 15 hours ago from web in reply to BritishAirways

yes i covered up to board the BA flight. I didn’t want to miss it. And honestly i was embarrrassed all the people were staring and laughing!
about 14 hours ago from web

its not in the rules that i can find.my tatts arent offensive.looking into it. i havent felt this small since the first time i asked nic out
about 14 hours ago from web

Finally in bed after a good 36 hours of craziness. 3 flights. Tattoo discrimination from BA. and a music video later here i am……..
about 7 hours ago from web

[From Joel Madden's Twitter]

Madden did look up the British Airway regulations and of course there’s nothing about people with tattoos or piercings not being allowed to board flights. He’s not going to have to write a letter because this will be in the national news within a few hours and make BA look like complete asses. PR messes like this hardly matter when these companies have a monopoly on flights though. For months they were losing basically everyone’s luggage that went through that airport and yet they still remain in business. I’ve had some of the most demoralizing experiences flying and can commiserate with Madden. When someone treats me like that I try to rationalize that it’s their problem, and that they must hate their job so much that they have to take it out on someone. At least Madden has a much larger audience than most of us to witness that he was discriminated against, as upsetting as it must have been.

Update: This post previously had photos of Benji Madden that were incorrectly labeled as Joel. Those have been fixed and thanks to Ima for pointing it out.

We have sent the following message to British Airways Public Relations via e-mail and are waiting for a response:

Dear British Airways public relations,
On a Saturday flight from Heathrow to Lisboa, Portugal, rocker Joel Madden was told by a British Airways staff member to cover up his arm tattoos before boarding. Madden has tattoos of religious figures on both of his forearms. He quietly complied with the request although he told the BA person that he felt he was being discriminated against. Madden immediately posted this on his Twitter, which has nearly 100,000 followers.

http://www.celebitchy.com/48287/joel_madden_forced_by_british_airways_to_cover_tattoos_before_boarding_flight/

Does British Airways have a policy of making all airline passengers cover visible tattoos or was this an isolated incident? Will the staff member who did this be disciplined if it was not in accordance with airline policy?

[We sent this via e-mail to BA Public Relations, at media.relations@ba.com]

Joel Madden is shown out on 4/8/09. He is also seen with girlfriend Nicole Richie on 4/26/09. Credit: Fame Pictures

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are having space issues. When Nicole was pregnant with Harlow, they were still living in Joel’s bachelor pad. After Harlow’s birth, they began renting a slightly bigger Hollywood home, with room for a nursery and Joel’s office. Now that Nicole is pregnant with their second child, she is kicking Joel out of his office. Nicole has big plans for his man-cave, too. It involves lots of frills and pink bunting.

Mom-to-be Nicole Richie is giving boyfriend Joel Madden the boot — out of his in-house office, that is.

The pair, already parents to 15-month old daughter Harlow, need to make room for their new baby the in the home they’ve been renting on Hollywood’s Outpost Drive since late last year. Unfortunately, that means converting Joel’s home office into a third bedroom.

With the second child on its way, Nicole, 27, wants Harlow to move out of the nursery and into her own “big girl’s room.”

“Nicole plans to redo Joel’s office in pink and frills,” a source tells OK!. “She’s told him he either has to move to the garage or put his laptop in the kitchen!”

Joel, 30, hates the idea of being kicked out of his office, but knows it’s for a good cause. Says the source, “He’s thrilled to death that they are expecting another baby.”

[From OK! Magazine]

Joel seems like he’s being a very good sport. Not to be crude, but he’s probably thrilled Nicole’s got her pregnancy boobs back, and he’ll do anything the boobs ask. It would be nice if Joel had his own space for his man-lair, but Nicole is probably nesting like crazy. I bet she is having a field day decorating Harlow’s big girl room too. Perhaps now’s the time to buy a bigger place? Real estate is a buyer’s market right now, they could probably easily afford something larger. Perhaps a five-bedroom with a big backyard? That would be plenty of space for Joel’s office and a third baby!

Here are Joel and Nicole at the Esprit Grand Opening Celebration in Santa Monica on April 3rd. Images thanks to WENN.com .

Nicole Richie got fed up with reality sleaze Tila Tequila flirting with her boyfriend, Joel Madden, at a recent party. According to the latest issue of the National Enquirer, Nicole screamed in Tila’s face to “back off” when she didn’t take a hint and kept bugging Joel:

Pregnant Nicole Richie lashed out at MTV’s Tila “Tequila” Nguyen at an Oscar-night party when the sexy reality TV star seemed to make a play for Nic’s baby daddy, Joel Madden.

Nicole and Joel were celebrating the news that Nicole is expecting the couple’s second child at a party at the Hollywood Hills on Feb 22 when Tila showed up.

“As soon as Tila saw Joel, she ran up to him and started acting super flirty – grabbing and hugging him,” an eyewitness told the Enquirer.

“Nicole had her back turned, but when she realized that Tila was all over him, she ran up and yelled, ‘Joel… JOEL!!’

“When he didn’t respond right away, Nicole pulled Joel away to their table.”

But Tila wasn’t about to give up – and she tried approaching Joel a second time.

“That was the last straw for Nicole,” revealed the eyewitness. “She got right in Tila’s face and screamed ‘Back off and get out of here!’”

Tila stood her ground for a few seconds, but left when she realized her fight with Nicole had become the center of attention at the party, says the eyewitness.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, March 16, 2009]

That’s the old Nicole Richie we know and love. You wonder if Joel and Tila have some kind of history together and that’s why she was being so pushy. He’s been with Nicole pretty much since Tila hit the scene, but maybe they know each other as friends and Tila thought it was harmless to continue talking to him. Now she knows she’ll have to answer to Nicole if she keeps it up.

Here are Nicole and Joel outside the Vanity Fair Oscar party on 2/22/09. They just announced earlier that day that Nicole is expecting their second child. Tila Tequila is shown on the same night outside the same party. How did she get invited?

Credit: WENN.com

Just a few days ago, Nicole Richie was taking her daughter Harlow apartment-hunting in New York while Nic’s boyfriend Joel Madden played it cool in Los Angeles. I wondered at the time if a New York move was in Nicole’s future, and if there were problems with Joel and Nic. Apparently not – Joel Madden just announced on the Good Charlotte blog that he and Nicole are expecting their second child!

Baby Harlow just celebrated her first birthday in January. OK! Magazine has more:

Congratulations to Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, who announced this morning that they are expecting their second child!

In a post on the official Good Charlotte blog, Joel wrote: “What’s better than winning an Oscar? I am so happy to tell everyone that Harlow is going to be a big sister! God has truly blessed my family. Hope you’re all feeling as good as I am right now…”

This will make the second child in under two years for the couple, who are already parents to adorable baby girl Harlow Winter Kate Madden, born on Jan. 11, 2008.

Only a couple of months ago, Joel told OK! that he and Nicole were already thinking of expanding their young family.

“Eventually we’d love to have more kids,” he said at the time. “Especially if they can all be as easy and wonderful as Harlow!”

From OK! Magazine

There have been rumors on and off about the state of Joel and Nicole’s relationship, and I’ll admit to being one of the worriers. I really like how Nicole has grown up, and I think she’s probably a really great mother, but I’m not so sure about Joel. Perhaps they’re much happier than I suspect, though.

Nicole Richie and Harlow are shown at LAX on 2/20/09. Credit: Fame. Nicole and Joel are shown outside “Cruz Beckham’s 4th Birthday party in North Hollywood at XMA Martial Arts place.” Credit: WENN

Nicole Richie and baby Harlow have been in New York for several days. Nicole’s been attending Fashion Week shows all week, but for the past two days, Nicole pulled an Angelina Jolie – she went apartment hunting. I have no idea if Nicole is planning to move to New York alone, or with her boyfriend and baby-daddy Joel Madden.

Meanwhile, Joel Madden is in Los Angeles dreaming about Brad Pitt. He attended a charity fundraiser and was asked about his Oscar plans, and who he was rooting for. Joel said, “I think Slumdog‘s gonna win. I hope Brad Pitt wins ’cause he’s never won an Oscar, right? Well I’m rooting for him then. I hope he gets it this time.” Sweet. He also talks about his girls:

Joel Madden is rooting for Brad Pitt to win an Oscar.

The Good Charlotte frontman and boyfriend of Nicole Richie said he would sit on the couch to watch the ceremony this weekend.

Speaking at a party in LA to support charity work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joel said: “I think Slumdog’s gonna win. I hope Brad Pitt wins ’cause he’s never won an Oscar, right?

“Well I’m rooting for him then. I hope he gets it this time.”

Brad is up for Best Actor for his part in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button – his second Academy Award nomination.

Joel, who has a one-year-old daughter, Harlow, with Nicole, said being a dad was “great” and spoke about how it affected his views on the suffering in the Congo.

“I have a woman and child – two girls, you know – so it’s important to me. I love my girls, and every woman and child, especially when I see first-hand – when I was in Africa seeing it… it’s like looking at your own family and you just wanna do something”.

Joel’s twin brother Benji, lead guitarist in Good Charlotte, also attended the bash while Nicole was in New York.

From The Press Association Hosted by Google

Even though I was half-joking about Nicole “pulling an Angelina”, I do think that Nicole and Joel probably admire Brangelina, and I can easily point out several instances where it seemed like Nicole and Joel were following in The Brange’s footsteps. I don’t think it creepy/scary Octomom stuff, I think Joel and Nicole probably just admire the celebrity couple. I really hope Nicole and Harlow aren’t leaving LA alone though – even though I worry about the state of their relationship, I hope they make it work.

Nicole and Harlow are shown in NY on 2/19/09. Credit: Fame. Nicole is also shown outside the Zac Posen show on 2/19/09. Credit: WENN Joel is shown on 2/18/09 at a charity event in LA for Children Mending Hearts. Credit: Fame.

Nicole Ritchie is famous for several reasons. She’s Lionel Ritchie’s daughter. She once was, and perhaps still might be Paris Hilton’s friend, and they starred in a staged reality show together. She drove down the wrong side of the road when she was hopped up on something, thus resulting in one of the better-looking mug shots in recent history. And she got knocked up by Joel Madden, had a cute baby girl that she named Harlow, and lived happily ever after.

That’s all she’s going to be known for, for now. Nicole has brushed aside reports that she was in talks to star in her second reality series – her first being that waste of space show The Simple Life.

Even though Nicole Ritchie shot to fame as Paris Hilton’s sidekick on several seasons of the E! reality hit The Simple Life, it doesn’t look like she’ll be giving reality TV another try anytime soon — in spite of what the tabloids say.

This week, the tabs reported that Nicole, who has settled down from her days of partying with Paris and is now the proud mom to one-year-old daughter Harlow with boyfriend Joel Madden, was set to step in front of the cameras once more.

But a rep for the 27-year-old tells OK! that couldn’t be further from the truth.

According to the rep, reports that Nicole is shopping around a reality show are “unsubstantiated. This is false reporting.”

From OK! Magazine

I worry about Nicole. She seems to have gotten her act together, and she’s settled down to a relatively quiet life of rock star girlfriend and mother. Still, I worry that she and Joel aren’t very happy, and that she needs some kind of income. I’m being over-protective, I know. She recently launched a line of so-so jewelry and… that’s about it. That’s all she’s done in the way of working recently, or perhaps ever. Maybe another reality show wouldn’t be the worst idea. I would actually watch it!

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are shown at The Art of Elysium Gala on 1/10/09. Credit: WENN

According to Star’s cover story, Nicole Richie is going to celebrate baby Harlow’s first birthday by trying to get pregnant with her second child. For some reason, it has the rare whiff of truth, even though it’s Star. Richie seems like an excellent mother who has shunned the drug usage and partying ways of her youth, and would most likely be open to another baby. Harlow’s father, Joel Madden might be a different story, though.

It’s baby time again for Nicole Richie and her rocker boyfriend, Joel Madden! As their daughter Harlow gets ready to celebrate her first birthday, reformed party girl Nicole is taking vitamins, eating healthy and designing trendy maternity wear in preparation for her second pregnancy.

“Nicole simply told Joel that she wants another baby —right away,” a friend confides to Star. “He was a little overwhelmed at first, but now he’s with her 100 percent. They’re both thrilled about adding to their family.”

And, after overcoming a rocky period in their relationship, the couple seems to be in a good place to expand their family. Nicole and Joel went through a “rough patch, but now things are amazing between them,” says a source. “Nicole knows it’s because they’re both so happy with Harlow, and she truly believes another baby will double their commitment.”

[From Star Magazine]

Did Nicole and Joel really hit a rough patch? Maybe – sometimes they do seem at odds, and ever since Harlow’s birth, Nicole has seemed much more engaged in parenthood, while Joel seems to be going on the never-ending tour. They were going to get married at some point, and then they weren’t, and then Nicole maybe moved out, and then she didn’t. Their relationship seems to provide a lot of drama, and maybe Nicole thinks another baby will settle things down. I bet Joel’s not into it, though. Honestly, I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long.

Note by Celebitchy: These two seem pretty stable to me, and I bet that both of them want another baby, not just Nicole. An earlier story in the National Enquirer had Joel begging Nicole to have another baby while she told him he better marry her if he wanted more kids. The tabloids make stuff up all the time so who knows what’s really going on. They’re not married, but they seem perfectly happy and I would bet they’ll be together for a while. Everyone has a different impression though obviously.

Nicole Richie is shown out with Harlow on 12/22/08. Credit: Fame. Nicole and Joel are shown out at a Dolce & Gabanna event on 12/15/08. Credit: WENN/Fayes Vision

The National Enquirer reports this week that Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are planning to get married and move to a big estate in Maryland. Joel is from Maryland and there’s been a rumor that these two have wanted to escape from L.A. for some time. Here’s what the Enquirer says about their maybe-wedding, to supposedly take place this Spring, and relocation:

The reality show star and the Good Charlotte rocker have their hands full while planning their new life. Not only are they organizing an early Spring wedding, but they’re house-hunting in Joel’s native Maryland where the couple hopes to relocate by next summer, the Enquirer has learned.

“The wedding will be Nicole and Joel’s goodbye to L.A.,” a close pal told the Enquirer.

Guests are expected to included Paris Hilton, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz, the Olsen twins, Gwen Stefani, and Tobey Maguire and his wife, Jennifer.

“Joel really wants to keep the guest list short, but he also understands that Nicole wants one last big party in L.A.,” said the pal.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, December 29, 2008]

The wedding and reception will supposedly take place at Nicole’s dad Lionel Richie’s estate. They’re planning a move at Joel’s insistence, as he wants to escape all “the craziness of L.A.” This isn’t the first time we’ve heard details of a big wedding blowout for Nicole and Joel. Star Magazine ran a whole story about a supposed wedding for the couple this summer. It turned out that it was completely fabricated. The National Enquirer is usually more reliable than Star, although that doesn’t mean this is true.

It doesn’t sound likely to me, as they both have businesses run out of L.A., with Joel’s clothing company and band and Nicole’s jewelry and headband line. Plus they still have to attend events and make appearances and they have their charity supporting causes based out of the area.

Nicole and Joel recently told a reporter when they were asked that they wanted more kids and would consider adoption, with Nicole adding “”Definitely, I’m adopted.” Joel said that if they were to adopt, it would probably be from the Central African Republic, where Joel recently visited with his brother on a UN mission.

Nicole and Joel are shown on 12/11, 12/13 and 12/15, credit: WENN

MySpace Exclusive – Joel Madden travels to Africa with UNICEF

Update: here’s a video from the Richie Madden Children’s Foundation myspace of their trip

Twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden spent a week in the Central African Republic at the end of November. In Touch has the details and the photos. The 29 year-old musicians are goodwill ambassadors for UNICEF and are bringing awareness to the need for clean water in the war torn region. The Central African Republic is bordered by Chad, Sudan, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, and according to Wikipedia it’s one of the ten poorest countries in Africa. One in five children dies in childhood in the country due to lack of clean water.

Benji and Joel lived in a small village and were very touched by the children they met. It was their first trip for UNICEF. It seems like they’re sincere about their effort to help and that they put in the time and effort to learn more and make a difference:

[Joel and Benji Madden] spent a week in November… living in a village in the Central African Republic, where day-to-day survival is a struggle. “They didn’t know who were are other than we were there to help,” Joel tells In Touch in an exclusive interview about his first trip to Africa as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

He notes that clean water is the main problem in the region, causing the deaths of one in five kids under 5. Monty to restore wells will help, but conflict resolution is also critical. “It makes it hard to live healthy lives when they are constantly having to flee,” says [Joel], adding that the village was attacked by rebels after he and Benji left.

Memories that will stay with him are of parents talking about their children in terms of living and dead, teaching the kids to play hide-and-seek, and the night he woke to beating drums under a starry sky. “I was probably the furthest I’ve been from home, geographically and culturally,” he says. “It was one of those moments that you look at your life and think about who you are and what you’re about. It was a good moment.”

“I’m not a big crier,” admits Joel, but he teared up when he got home to LA, where he lives with Nicole Richie and their daughter, Harlow, 11 months. “Every time I wash my hands or take a drink, I think how lucky my daughter is to grow up never having to think about where the water is coming from or how much she can use.”

[From In Touch, print edition, December 22, 2008]

In Touch notes that the Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation is working with UNICEF to help fund drinking water projects worldwide. This article really touched me. These guys didn’t have to spend a week of their lives in Central Africa to make a difference – they didn’t even have to visit. Instead they took the time and made a personal sacrifice to learn more firsthand. They didn’t issue a press release to People or anything either, the news may have been out but this is the first time I have heard about it and only In Touch has this story.

Benji and his ex girlfriend, Paris Hilton, visited South Africa this spring and included a stop at an orphanage, where Paris autographed 8×10 photos of herself in a bikini for the children. They were in the country for a performance by Benji and Joel’s band, Good Charlotte, and stayed in luxury accommodations. I doubt Paris would have been able to hack a few days at a remote village and I would bet Benji was changed enough by his trip this November to help hasten the end of their relationship.

Here are some tiny photos of their trip from HDTPCAR.net, the The Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team of the Central African Republic. Joel is shown on the left holding a baby. He said in In Touch that the little boy in red behind him followed them around “the whole time” and “when we left, he cried. It was really rough.” Benji is shown playing his guitar. You can see larger photos of their trip in the latest issue of In Touch with “It’s a Girl” for Brad and Angelina on the cover. (That story says they’re adopting a girl from Ethiopia now, which sounds like BS as there aren’t a lot of details to support it. Let me know if you want me to report it.)

Header is of Joel and Benji at Diesel’s 30th Anniversary in NY. Credit: Janet Mayer/PRPhotos

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have adorable 10 month old daughter Harlow together and recently moved into a new home. They’ve confirmed their engagement, with Joel saying in September of last year that he would definitely marry a then-pregnant Nicole. He said “Obviously, marriage is in our future. I don’t know when or where or how, but right now our priority is our family and is the baby.” It’s over a year later and we still haven’t heard about wedding plans for these two.

Joel told People Magazine in an interview this October that they wanted more kids and “If it could be as easy as Harlow, sure.” As for their wedding plans, Nicole was noncommittal saying simply “When we get married, everyone will know. It will happen when it happens.”

Maybe Nicole has just learned to have lower expectations about her wedding because Joel keeps putting it off. According to the National Enquirer, Joel wants another baby but Nicole has told him that he better put a ring on her finger first.

Marry me or we’re not having any more children! That’s the ultimatum Nicole Richie has laid down for boyfriend Joel Madden as he pleads with her to have another baby, sources tell the Enquirer.

Nicole… welcomes the idea of adding to their family – but not until Joel gives her a ring and commits to a wedding date.

“Nicole’s ultimatum has been a long time coming,” a pal revealed. “She’s sick and tired of Joel dragging his feet every time the subject of marriage comes up.”

Joel has a long list of reasons why he thinks their wedding should be postponed. Earlier this year, he said it was because he wanted to wrap up his band Good Charlotte’s tour. But when the tour started winding down over the summer, Joel said he didn’t want ot get married until they bought another house in LA.

The two spent months house-hunting before finally settling on a home in the Hollywood Hills, but Joel then announced he wanted to focus on the Nov. 25 release of Good Charlotte’s new album, “Greatest Remixes.” He also wants to follow through with plans to open a tattoo parlor with his twin brother Benji.

“It’s pretty evident to Nicole that Joel will keep coming up with excuses unless she puts her foot down,” explained the pal.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, November 24, 2008]

There was a story in June that Joel told Nicole he wanted her to convert to Christianity before they got married, but maybe that was just another way for him to put it off.

Another tabloid story in Star this June had Nicole and Joel planning a lavish wedding over the summer. In retaliation to what he called a fake story Joel posted a photo of a wedding cake on his blog with the title “WE DID IT!! NICOLE AND I FINALLY GOT MARRIED!! click here for the pictures!!” Inside was a Photoshopped picture of two monkeys in wedding attire. Maybe that revealed a little more about Joel’s feelings about marriage than he intended.

Nicole and Joel are shown leaving a hair salon on 10/13/08. Joel looks like he’s lost weight. Credit: Fame