Joel Madden Didn't Think He Had A Shot With Nicole Richie When They Started Dating

Long gone are the days when Nicole Richie and her former best friend, Paris Hilton, were making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Richie underwent a stunning transformation over the years, especially after she began dating musician Joel Madden. The two originally met at a party in 2006 and have been inseparable ever since. However, Madden didn't think he stood a chance with Lionel Richie's daughter when they first crossed paths. 

"I was at my girlfriend's party, and he was there hanging out with my girlfriend's sister, and we met very, very, briefly," Richie recalled on "60 Minutes Australia" back in 2013. "He was very shy [...]. Just kind of kept to himself. I couldn't get a read on him for the life of me." The couple tied the knot in 2010 after welcoming two children together. Surprisingly, that first meeting changed their lives forever and led to a lasting romantic relationship.

The Good Charlotte lead singer quickly became friends with Nicole Richie after their initial meeting. However, back then, he didn't think she would see ever him as a potential partner. "When I met her, I think we were both on different trains," Joel Madden confessed in an interview with "60 Minutes Australia." "We might have just for a second gotten off at the same station and met each other, and then we both got on a completely different train." Madden was attracted to the "Simple Life" breakout but didn't know how to go about letting her know. 

"I'm always like, 'Just give me a shot. Just give me one date," he recalled. They also had wildly different personalities and backgrounds, which didn't make it any easier. However, their friendship brought them together and later turned into something bigger. Speaking to "60 Minutes Australia," Richie divulged that she found her future husband romantic, loyal, and persistent. She also believes they've stayed together for so long because they share the same values.

Looking back, the "Ink Master" host described his first encounter with Richie as life-changing. "That's like a religious experience [...] meeting the person you know is gonna be your wife," he explained. When Richie told him she was pregnant, they decided to fight for their relationship and make it work no matter what. Their first child, Harlow Winter Kate Madden, came into this world in 2008, strengthening their bond. 

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden shared similar goals from the very beginning. In 2007, they launched a charitable organization supporting children in need. "We named the foundation the Richie-Madden Foundation because it's not just Joel and I that want to help. We each have families, and our families are very close," the fashion designer informed People. In 2022, she showed her support for Madden's new project, "Ink Master," by sharing an Instagram Story about it.

Madden also confirmed on "The Tamron Hall Show" that Richie helped him cultivate self-love. The rock star notably struggled with low self-esteem for most of his life before meeting his wife. Richie and their two children, Harlow and Sparrow Madden, make him feel more comfortable in his own skin, which also allows him to grow as a person. "What my kids and my wife did is to ground me. They give me a reason to be OK with myself," he told The National News.

We can all agree that Richie and Madden are a great match. However, their relationship hasn't been without its bumps. In 2023, the Good Charlotte singer acknowledged regularly attending couples therapy, which helps them work through their issues. "I don't think we pretend to be perfect either," Madden clarified on "The Drew Barrymore Show," adding, "I think we're all human." Madden also expressed his appreciation for Richie and how she's raising their kids.