While most celebrity couples seem to run right out and get married as soon as someone accidentally gets pregnant, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have kept their relationship status quo. Though they’ve long been rumored to be kind of/sort of engaged, they’ve yet to announce anything official, and it doesn’t appear that they have any concrete wedding plans.

It often seems like the pair isn’t quite certain of their union. To be sure, Nicole has had a very rebellious past, whereas Joel has lived a life a bit more on the straight and narrow, despite being a musician. Before Nicole, Joel dated Hillary Duff for a long time. That’s quite a leap, in terms of different personalities.

The National Enquirer says the holdup is Nicole’s lack of religion. Joel wants her to convert to Christianity before they get married. And it sounds like he doesn’t want it just as a formality, but truly wants her to find God and faith before he commits to spending the rest of his life with her.

“Joel is determined not to marry Nicole until she asks forgiveness for her sins and is willing to raise little Harlow with the same religious upbringing that he had,” a source told The Enquirer. “Joel may look like a rebel, but the truth is he is an old-fashioned conservative guy with hardcore Christian beliefs.

“… The Bible is a big part of his life – so much so that he has a tattoo of Jesus and a Sacred Heart on his arms. Joel went to church regularly as a kid and he believes that God has made him what he is today. He has seen all the problems that spoiled Hollywood children like Nicole encountered, and is determined to prevent Harlow from being the stereotypical Beverly Hills brat.”

In an attempt to break from her checkered past of rehab stints, drunk driving and drug arrests, Nicole has already begun her spiritual transformation, says a close friend. And insiders say she couldn’t be happier. “It looks like Nicole is on the way to fully embracing Joel’s religious beliefs,” said the friend. “She knows how great her life has become thanks to him.”

As The Enquirer reported last week, Nicole has had trouble coping with the stress of motherhood. “Joel thinks God will be the ultimate answer to her problems,” continued the source…. “As much as Joel loves Nicole, and is dedicated to being her rock, he feels like their marriage would never work unless they are on the same page with their religious beliefs,” added the source. “Bottom line, he wants a Christian family.”

[From the National Enquirer, June 16, 2008, print ed.]

The Enquirer makes it sound like Nicole Richie is alright with converting, but it also sounds like Joel is putting a lot of pressure on her. That’s not exactly the best way to find true faith – that’s something a person has to come to on their own terms. It does seem like Joel has been nothing but a good influence on Nicole – but I’m still not completely convinced that she’s appreciative of that influence.

It often seems like she’s not ready to settle down yet – especially given the many reports that she’s having trouble adjusting to motherhood and not going out and partying as much. It seems like a lot of things have changed super fast in Nicole’s life, and probably earlier than she had planned. Hopefully she’ll be able to figure out what’s best for her family.

Here’s Nicole and Joel out for a stroll with baby Harlow on May 20th. Images thanks to Splash.

Star Magazine claims that Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, the live-in father of her five month-old daughter Harlow, are planning a $2 million wedding to take place at her father Lionel Richie’s estate later this month. Star Magazine likes to make up stories, but this one includes a three day timeline of Nicole’s planned wedding activities which adds some credence to this story. There are also plenty of wedding details that sound like they could be true:

Nicole and Joel [plan to] exchange vows on June 29, which will cap off a three-day weeding extravaganza – including a Pretty in Pink bridal shower, a video slideshow and spa treatments – that will be an unforgettable weekend for 100 of their closest friends and family.

“Nicole wanted it to be incredibly special for everyone involved, not just the bridal party” – which will include her BFF Masha Gordon as maid of honor, little sister Sophie as the flower girl and Paris and Nicky Hilton as bridesmaids, says one source. “She wants everyone to play games, swim, hang out and enjoy themselves all weekend…”

[It] will be the “wedding of the year,” says another source of the $2 million affair. “Cost is not an issue!”

For the main event, which will take place at the Bel-Air mansion of her father, Lionel Richie, Nicole, 26, is still choosing what dress she’ll wear – but she knows it will be in a champagne tone.

“She’s been offered one-of-a-kind gowns by both Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang,” says an insider. “She knows she wants it to be traditional and classy, but she doesn’t want it to be very long.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, June 16, 2008]

Star also claims that Nicole is planning to hold little Harlow while she and Joel say her vows, which will be written by them for the occasion. The bridesmaids will wear gowns purchased by Nicole from different designers, and the groomsmen and groom will wear Sean Jean tuxedos.

The three day event includes a rehearsal dinner and bachelorette party on Friday, June 27, a bridal shower including manicure/pedicures, massages and hair and makeup on Saturday, and the big event and reception on Sunday. Joel and Nicole will honeymoon in Hawaii afterwards and Star says they don’t plan on bringing Harlow with them.

Congratulations to Nicole and Joel. They’re likely to negotiate with a magazine to sell the photos for an amount that will partially pay for this lavish wedding. They seem stable enough to make their marriage last, and hopefully Paris Hilton and Joel’s brother Benji won’t follow their lead any time soon.

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are shown outside his DCMA store on 4/29/08, thanks to WENN.

Benji and Joel Madden haven’t spoken to their father for more than ten years, after the (now recovering) alcoholic walked out on the family. Father Roger Combs (the boys changed their name to Madden after their mother’s maiden name) says that while he had some contact with them over the last three years, it is baby Harlow that has created a common bond. he talks to In Touch magazine about their reunion.

“My kids were mad at me, and I don’t blame them,” says Roger, who also has a daughter, Sarah, 27, and a son, Josh, 30, with Benji and Joel’s mom. Though Joel did start mending fences with Roger three years ago, it was Harlow who really reunited them. “We are good today, and that’s all that matters,” Roger says.

[From In Touch]

Roger Combs doesn’t say whether he has a relationship with his older children. He does add that holding his granddaughter was very special.

“It was a wonderful moment,” Roger exclusively tells In Touch. “She’s such a beautiful girl. I felt very proud.”

In Touch also reports that Nicole reassessed her relationship with her parents, saying that she ‘put them through a lot.’ Nicole has been to jail, and also rehab, as well as being best friends with Paris Hilton, which would make any parent nervous.

I’m not sure if Roger Combs sold his story to In Touch magazine, or if the Madden twins sold it, or if Roger was just sought out for comment. He might not understand the tabloid scrutiny the Madden brothers are under, and was just being a proud grandparent. He doesn’t talk at all about Paris Hilton, or Nicole Richie, who are most likely to result in inflammatory headlines. Hopefully his comments appearing in the press won’t create a misunderstanding like Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie’s relationship.

Joel and Benji Madden are shown at “Hornitos Tequila celebrates the ultimate ‘Cinco de Mayo’ experience at Crown Bar” on 5/5/08, thanks to WENN.

There’s trouble in paradise for Nicole Richie and baby daddy Joel Madden. Though to be fair, it doesn’t exactly sound like Nicole has considered her life to be like paradise for a while. Nonetheless, you’ve got to ask yourself, what kind of a trampy, trashy, harlot skank would come between a new father and the mother of his child? Why none other than Nicole Richie’s “supposed” good friend, Lindsay Lohan. Leave it to the Lohan to be the skankiest person in any given situation.

While Nicole Richie was home caring for her baby, her fiancé Joel Madden spent a boozy night partying with Lindsay Lohan. Needless to say, Nicole was crushed. The trouble started for the new mom after she decided to stay home with their 4-month-old daughter, Harlow, while Joel deejayed at Hornitos’ Cinco de Mayo party at Crown Bar in L.A. However, while there, the Good Charlotte rocker seemed more interested in a seductive Lindsay than in spinning records.

“Their heads were practically touching, and he had his leg over hers,” says one onlooker. “Joel has a flirtatious side, and he definitely wasn’t turning her away.” Nicole was immediately alerted to the situation by her arch-frenemy Paris Hilton, who sent her a devastating text message: Lindsay was all over Joel!

Making the situation worse, Nicole frantically tried to call Joel, but he wasn’t answering his phone. “He was so zeroed in on Lindsay, he never heard his cell ring,” a friend of the couple tells Star. “Nicole felt so incredibly helpless and upset that she threw her phone against the wall in a rage.”

[From Star]

It sounds like it could be friendly or somewhat innocent behavior on Joel’s part, but I never assume Lindsay Lohan has good intentions. That troll lives for drama. And what’s more dramatic than breaking up the relationship between your good friend – who just had a baby a few months ago – and her boyfriend? And what the hell else does Lohan have to do these days? Her career is nonexistent. She spends most of her days getting her hair done and making her body look orange. I don’t really like Nicole Richie, but I hope she throws a shit fit and bans Lohan from her life.

Here’s Amy Joel Madden and Benji Madden at Hornitos Tequila celebration of the ultimate ‘Cinco de Mayo’ experience at Crown Bar where the flirtation took place. Header of Joel and Nicole not looking too happy on May 9th. Images thanks to WENN.

Nicole Richie, Joel Madden and their baby Harlow, who will be four months old in a few days, appear in a new photo spread in Harper’s Bazaar. It features Joel and Nicole in couture looking privileged along with Harlow in her own cute clothing. Nicole’s dad pop singer Lionel Richie also appears, looking very much the proud Grandfather. The shoot reminds me of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s first baby spread in People with more focus on the newborn and less haughty expressions.

Extra TV has details of the accompanying interview with Nicole, and she’s outspoken about her love for her daughter and the way Harlow has changed her life and her circle of friends. She says that Joel is very helpful with the baby and changes more diapers than she does:

Richie tells “Extra” that she is the first in her circle of friends to have a baby. She elaborated, “I feel like my group of five to ten friends, they really love her, like she’s theirs… my friends never go outside for smoke breaks anymore, they don’t curse, they are definitely more demure. It’s actually been really interesting.”

As for how new dad and fiancé Joel Madden handles diaper duty, Richie admitted, “Joel actually changes more diapers than I do… It’s his time with her. He sings to her… he laughs with her, plays with her. It’s amazing.” Richie revealed that her father, Lionel, hasn’t offered her any parenting advice, but that “he comes from a father standpoint. He gives Joel a lot of advice.”

[From ExtraTV.com]

Nicole also says that she finds the paparazzi scary and doesn’t want that kind of circus around her daughter. She calls herself “the luckiest girl alive” and says she has “nothing to complain about.”

Nicole and Joel got some slight heat for making appearances at events and parties in the month after their daughter’s birth. That was during the Grammy events, though, and it was important that Joel attend some parties for his job. They seemed to have reigned it in though, and although they still go out it’s not like they’re partying it up every weekend. We reported a story from Star earlier in the week that speculated that “Nicole is torn between being a mommy and being a party girl” and wanted some freedom but didn’t want to leave her baby.

Nicole certainly seems like a great mom. Compare her actions to the way that Jennifer Lopez is behaving – talking about competing in a triathalon to make her babies proud and heading out to every event to show the world how well her fitness program is working.

Doesn’t Harlow look like she has so much personality already? I love her expressions, she’s a little weisenheimer you can tell.

These photos are from Harper’s Bazaar’s website, where there are many more.

Paris Hilton is on tour with her boyfriend Benji Madden’s band Good Charlotte, but the fiance of his twin brother and band mate is stuck home with their newborn baby. That may be her choice, but Star Magazine says it’s not and that Nicole Richie is super pissed that frenemy Paris gets to tag along while she’s left holding the baby:

Sources confirm to Star that Nicole was devastated when Joel informed her she would not be coming on the tour. She previously hit the road with the band, even while heavily pregnant, so she assumed this time was no different. She had even begun interviewing nannies to help her with daughter Harlow.

“Nicole begged Joel to let her tag along, but he refused to put the baby through that much traveling,” says a friend of hers. “He thinks a rock tour is no place for a newborn and has put his foot down.”

One insider says Nicole tried to make her case for coming by insisting she was nervous about being away from Joel, 29, for so long and that she was worried about caring for Harlow without his help.

But another source says Nicole, 26, is really just upset that Paris Hilton – who has been dating Joel’s twin brother, Benji, since February – is crashing the tour. And Nicole knows that wherever Paris, 27, goes, there’s usually trouble. “Nicole is livid!” says another source. “The thought of Paris on the road influencing Joel makes her skin crawl. Nicole doesn’t trust Paris as far as she can throw her.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, April 7, 2008]

You can see this being the case even if Star Magazine’s sources all happen to be staffers. It’s got to be hard to be apart from your partner right after you have a baby, and going on tour with a nanny seems preferable to staying home. It’s possible that Benji and Joel didn’t really talk about the fact that Paris was tagging along and that Joel decided that Nicole should stay home before he realized that Paris would be stealing his band’s thunder.

When my husband and I were watching “Wetten, Das?” with Paris on Saturday, he asked “isn’t it bad publicity for Good Charlotte to be associated with Paris Hilton? Like doesn’t that demean their integrity as a band?” It kind of does. They may not be sleeping with tons of groupies but we know at least one of them thinks with his dick.

Paris Hilton is shown clutching her chin after she took a fall earlier in the day on the cobblestones in Prague. The story is that “they were mobbed by fans and photographers, calling Paris to fall to the ground.” Thanks to WENN for these photos.

It’s never any big surprise to hear that things aren’t going well between Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton. Frankly, it’s a big surprise to hear otherwise. The two had an infamous falling out in 2005, supposedly after Nicole screened a copy of Paris’ sex tape “One Night In Paris” on a big screen TV. Though they eventually reconciled, they clearly haven’t been as tight since then. Paris is now dating Benji Madden, twin brother of Nicole’s boyfriend Joel Madden. Though several stories have claimed Nicole set up the pair to get Benji out of her hair, it seems that’s the last thing from the truth. Apparently Nicole can barely stand Paris, and having her date Benji just increases the time she has to spend with her.

Feud 2.0 is all about the whirlwind relationship between Nicole’s future brother-in-law, Benji Madden, and Paris, a hookup that’s left Nicole fuming with her friend. “Nicole has made it clear to Paris that she doesn’t like her seeing (Benji),” an insider told Star. “She thinks Paris is a total nightmare to be around and just wants her to go away. She isn’t happy about Paris once again crashing what is now her picture-perfect life.”

So why does Nicole suddenly see her BFF as a big burden? Allegedly it all goes back to Benji’s breakup with her other pal Sophie Monk. Sophie and Benji were engaged, but split up in February. While no one’s accusing Paris of stealing him away, Nicole doesn’t like the timing.

“She feels that Paris screwed Sophie over by coming on to Benji so quickly,” the source revealed to the magazine. “Her allegiance is definitely with Sophie — she doesn’t trust Paris one bit.” Apparently Nicole’s plan is to wait it out and hope for, well, the worst. “Nicole is just hoping Paris’ relationship with Benji goes down the toilet as quickly as most of her other relationships have. She just wants to get on with her life without Paris.”

[From MSNBC]

I wonder how this kind of gossip plays out at home. I couldn’t be around someone who’d said something like that about me – but if most celebs paid attention to all the gossip about them, they’d be in a constant state of bickering with nearly everyone they knew. Somehow these two ladies are so petty and empty that it wouldn’t surprise me if Nicole had said this type of thing about Paris – and it wouldn’t surprise me if Paris was just dating Benji to piss off Nicole. Either way, dating the brother of your supposed best friend is probably a little too close for comfort. But I’m guessing Nicole’s prediction will be correct, and Paris will be bored of Benji in under a month.

Here’s Nicole at the DCMA Collective Flagship Store Grand Opening on March 14th. Paris is pictured at the Kim Vo Salon and Spa Grand Opening at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on March 7th. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Nicole Richie’s fiance, Joel Madden, who turns 29 next week, could be wearing sunglasses at night because he’s a celebrity rock star, but he is said to have a real medical reason for protecting his eyes. According to Star Magazine, Joel has cataracts:

“Joel suffers from cataracts,” a source tells Star. “He has a problem with bright lights. That’s why Joel wears his shades absolutely everywhere – even indoors.” Joel’s eyes swell up when exposed to bright lights, he told a pal.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, March 10, 2008]

Cataracts are when part of the lens of the eye becomes clouded. It initially can cause blurred vision, near-sightedness and a loss of the perception of shades of blue, and can lead to blindness if not treated properly.

I thought that cataracts primarily affected older people. According to Wikipedia, genetics and a family history of cataracts can make someone vulnerable to developing them at a younger age. Exposure to radiation, such as microwave and infrared radiation, can also cause cataracts, and they have been found in higher rates among professions where people are exposed to radiation such as in pilots and glassblowers. (Pilots are thought to be exposed to radiation from outer space, according to Wikipedia.) It’s possible that as a musician Madden is exposed to electromagnetic radiation from the sound equipment, but this is pure speculation and while I can read up on it I can’t claim to understand much of it. Medical conditions and certain medications can also cause a predisposition to cataracts.

We don’t know what kind of cataracts Madden has or how severe his condition is. The typical treatment is surgery in which the lens of the eye is replaced with a plastic lens, but it is usually reserved until it is necessary, and prevention such as wearing sunglasses is recommended in the interim. Surgery is successful in 9 out of 10 cases.

We’ll have to see if this story is true, though. I looked through photos of Joel, and even recently he’s shown on the red carpet without sunglasses. His eyes also look fine. Maybe he has a mild case or this account is b.s.

He’s seen on 2/8/08 at PRIVE Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, where he was DJing that night, thanks to PRPhotos.

Nicole Richie praised her baby daddy’s twin brother in her People interview, and revealed that Benji Madden is always willing to babysit her now seven week-old daughter, Harlow. Nicole also said that Harlow smiled for the first time at her uncle. According to ever-reliable Star Magazine, Benji is more of a nuisance than a help, and Nicole and Joel are said to have set him up with Paris in order to get him out of their house.

A source tells Star the 28-year-old Good Charlotte guitarist has holed up in his Glendale, California home, which he shares with his twin brother, Joel. Joe’s fiancée, Nicole Richie, and their new baby, Harlow. As a result, he “barges in on them all the time,” says the source. “Nicole insists that Joel lock their bedroom door at night because she’s afraid of Benji walking in on them.” The new arrangement is driving Joel and Nicole so crazy that they’re trying to set Benji up, adds the source!

[From Star Magazine, print edition, March 10, 2008]

According to Nicole’s People interview, Benji lives down the street, not in the same house, but he’s probably over there all the time. Who knows if this is true, but considering that Benji is with Paris now someone has to have a problem with him if they didn’t at least warn him against hooking up with her.

Benji’s ex girlfriend Sophie Monk spoke out earlier this week about rumors that the rocker left her for the heirhead. She wished her ex well, and made it clear that their breakup was mutual:

“Benji and I did not break up badly or anything like that. We both decided, as adults, our relationship had run its course and decided to move on.”

She also said: “I feel no animosity towards Benji and Paris at all and am very happy with life at the moment.”

[From RTE.ie]

How embarrassing it must be to see your ex cavorting around with Paris Hilton in “notice me!” lookalike clothing. These two immediately hit all the paparazzi targets to let the world know they were together. People are speculating that he did it to make Sophie jealous after their breakup.

Meanwhile Star Magazine notes in the article we mentioned above that gorgeous Monk was seen out having brunch with a hunky video game director, James Rubin, on February 15. It looks like she’s moved on to someone more her speed while Benji has been reduced to playing tag along with Paris Hilton.

Paris and Benji are shown in the header out at lunch yesterday and below out shopping on 2/25, thanks to Splash News.

The new issue of People Magazine features Nicole Richie and 6 week-old baby Harlow on the cover. In the accompanying interview, Richie and her boyfriend, Joel Madden, talked about their experiences having a baby and how it changed their lives. Both Nicole and Joel said that the baby helped bring their family closer together, and that their parents and Joel’s brother are a big help. As for how her life has changed, she said that it’s like she doesn’t remember what it was like before, but it’s not like she “was in an opium den.”

Nicole admits that she struggles with her identity now that she’s had a baby. She said “I used to be fun! What if I’m not fun anymore?” She concedes that she’s still fun but just in a different way.

In terms of whether Nicole is going back to work, she said she has a lot of projects underway including a perfume, clothing line, maternity, children’s line and jewelry line:

What was the experience of going to jail like when you were pregnant?
Joel: For her and for me, it was just like, “Let’s just get this over with,” Nicole was just doing what she had to do, doing the right thing, going in and facing it and taking care of it. We wanted to close that chapter.
Nicole: And move on.

Do you feel healed? You said getting pregnant saved your life.
Nicole: Did I?
Joel: So dramatic

You said it to Diane Sawyer
Nicole: Now that I look back on it, I was a different person last year than I am now. And listen, sometimes I’ll be here and I’ll think to myself, “I used to be fun! What if I’m not fun anymore?” I have all these feelings. But you know what? I am who I am. I’m still fun, just not in that way.
Joel: People have this perception that Nicole was, like, in an opium den.
Nicole: And I wasn’t
Joel: She made some mistakes. But look at where we’re from. I’m in a rock and roll band. Nicole is who she is. It’s not like we had to give so much up because of the baby. It’s just time to be parents.

Do you plan to go back to work anytime soon?
Joel: She’s working on a perfume, she’s working on a clothing line.
Nicole: A maternity line and a children’s line. And a jewelry line. I’m doing it with Mouawad (Thanks KatyAlia for the designer name)

[From People Magazine, print edition, March 10, 2008, transcribed from scans available on PopSugar]

Nicole says earlier in the interview that she doesn’t have a nanny, and that she doesn’t deserve criticism for going out occasionally because Harlow is with family when she’s out and she’s with her all the time otherwise.

Do you have help at home?
We don’t have a nanny. We have our moms. They’ve helped us a lot.
Nicole: And we have to give credit to Benji. He lives six houses down. He babysits, like really babysits.
Joel: There was a day when I’d been at work all day and Nicole hadn’t left the house for 48 hours, and I was like “Let’s go to a restaurant down the street,” and Benji was with the baby. Then someone said they read somewhere that we were out all the time. It’s crazy. You leave the house for one hour and everyone’s like “She’s out! She’s leaving the baby!”

[From People Magazine, print edition, March 10, 2008, transcribed from scans available on PopSugar]

At one point Nicole is asked if Harlow has met Paris Hilton and you can almost see her roll her eyes when she answered “Yeah. They went to the Ivy. Just kidding.” She then talked in general terms about how her friends are reverent and careful around the baby, but didn’t mention Paris again.

It’s clear that a baby only changes you so much. It doesn’t take away your personality.

Congratulations to Nicole and Joel on their new arrival.