Joel Madden makes rare comments about 'sacred' marriage to Nicole Richie
Joel Madden has explained why his marriage to Nicole Richie is "sacred ground", as they both do what they can to protect their teenage children.
Joel Madden wants to protect his "sacred" relationship with Nicole Richie.
The Good Charlotte rock star, 47, and 44-year-old reality star first met almost 20 years ago, and Joel has revealed how his wife has "always been the person she is today", regardless of how the public sees her personality.
He told Bunnie Xo's Dumb Blonde podcast that their marriage is "sacred ground", adding: “I’m super aware of the way the world works, and the narrative of who Nicole was before the ‘us'.
“I don’t fight it, but I will say that Nicole has always been the person she is today.
"I’m her biggest fan, and I was from the first time I met her, because I see someone who’s very strong and has been through a lot and has integrity and self-respect...
“There’s an elegance and a bit of class to being above a narrative that everyone else has chosen for you, and she was never that narrative, regardless of some mistakes that she made when she was young.”
Nicole first rose to fame on The Simple Life, and was seen as a wild child in her youth.
The couple tied the knot in 2010, and have daughter Kate, 18, and son Sparrow, 16, together.
Joel insisted he didn't "save" Nicole when they met in 2006, and the person he met then is "the person that I'm with" two decades later.
He described her as "smart", "beautiful" and "classy", adding that he "lucked out with her".
The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous singer noted that the couple are keen to keep their children out of the spotlight and "protect them from the world".
He explained: “We know that if we’re not protective of our kids and our family, that everyone else can just tell stories that’ll be memorialised.
“When you’re responsible for your kids especially, you’re just trying to protect them from the world a little bit, and at the same time, you’re trying to teach them how the world works and how we have to move through the world.”
Back in April 2024, Nicole admitted that her children had been unimpressed by The Simple Life.
She told Variety: "The Simple Life is apparently having a big moment on TikTok, so they do tell me that they watch clips on TikTok.
"Their friends watch it. I get a lot of eye rolls in my house all the time. It’s right on brand with how they see me, in general."
Asked if her kids plan to follow her into the entertainment business, Nicole wasn't sure if it was on the cars for both of them.
She said: "I’m not sure. I highly doubt that my son does.
"My daughter might but she’s not banging down my door asking about it. She’s really living that 16-year-old life."
