Nicole Richie

Born Nicole Camilla Escovedo on September 21, 1981, Nicole Richie was initially raised by her father, Latin percussionist Peter Escovedo III. Since her father was a member ofLionel Richie's band, Nicole often attended gigs and recording sessions where she quickly became the group's mascot. At age 3, Escovedo allowed Nicole to move in with Lionel and his first wife; six years later he surrendered his paternal rights when the Richies formally adopted her.Surrounded by music as a child, Nicole learned to play the cello, violin, and piano. Her godfather is Michael Jackson. She graduated from Montclair College Prep School and attended the University of Arizona.

In February 2003 Nicole was arrested for heroin possession and driving with a suspended license. She pled guilty, was given probation, and went through rehab. That same year she joined her then best friend Paris Hilton in the reality series The Simple Life in which they lived for one month with a family in Arkansas. In later seasons, the two socialites took a road trip across the United States and performed various internships.Nicole is working on a book based loosely on her life and plans on releasing a CD. She is engaged to deejay Adam Goldstein.-Nicky SnowThe adopted daughter of pop star Lionel Richie, Nicole Richie entered the limelight when she signed on to appear with fellow heiress Paris Hilton in the Fox reality show The Simple Life. The show placed the socialites in working-class situations and proved to be a hit for the network. And though ratings dropped in subsequent seasons, the show found new life on the E! network, where it lasted several more seasons and even endured a public falling out between its two stars. Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide