There is certainly a huge difference between pre and post Joel Madden. Nicole Richie is a brand new woman. Her father Lionel Richie says it has everything to do with the Good Charlotte rocker.
“I think Joel had a lot to do with it, Joel’s an anchoring soul for Nicole. He came in the door once and said, ‘Mr. Richie, I just want to let you know I’ve got control of this.’ I was like, ‘No you don’t! Are you kidding me?’
“But I think that was the start: she found somebody that would challenge her stuff. They are a great team and I love him very much.”
Lionel told Closer magazine that is was really tough watching his daughter abuse drugs:
“It was brutal. You’re a parent so you’d like to just take them and put them in a basket and say: ‘I’ll protect you.’ But when they’re over 18 they get to walk out and you can’t keep them in a bubble. You have to sit and kind of watch it, because there’s nothing you can do.”
I wonder what Nicole thinks about this interview. Isn’t it a bit odd that Lionel is getting attention from the media only because of his daughter? I wouldn’t be so thrilled with one of my parents if they opened up like this to the press – especially if I had a troubled past.
Really? He’s only getting press because of her? I think he is speaking positively on the subject.
You can’t ignore her past.. it was so public, everybody knows it happens. I thought this was a really sweet interview.
I think it was an honest interview. As lis said you can’t ignore her past. She really has turned her life around. Good for her. Now if the other stupid starlets could follow her example.
He gets his own publicity for his projects. I don’t think he wants Nicole’s current level of fame; he expressed distress when helicopters would hover over her home? He didn’t seem to reveal any specific details, so I think she’d be okay with this interview.
Of course Joel turned her life around, even the blind chick from the “Hello” video could see that.
He didn’t say anything derogatory about her. Everyone knows of her drug use, for christ sake she drove the wrong way on a freeway! She’s lucky to be alive.
I love Nic and think it’s amazing how she has turned her life around.