Nicole Richie Broke the Internet—But She Didn’t Let the Internet Break Her
One of the first celebrities to be “famous for being famous,” “The Simple Life” star was, in her 20s, a gossip blog mainstay. Today, she’s at peace.
Nicole Richie came of age during what was, inarguably, the worst possible time to be a young woman in the spotlight.
As home Internet became mainstream in the early 2000s (the dawn of digital tabloid “journalism” and the 24-hour news cycle) some of the most popular websites were also the most cruel—gleefully outing celebrities and critiquing their bodies, whipping trolls into a frenzy with paparazzi photos without stopping to think, “Maybe we shouldn’t treat people this way?”
To be clear, much of the Internet is still terrible, but somewhere between #MeToo and mental health awareness going mainstream, many of us course-corrected. We remembered that famous people (and people with famous parents) are, well, people—not specimens to dissect and devour—and we stopped being OK with upskirt photos. (Remember those?) Sure, there were times when Nicole Richie stumbled, quite literally, in her early 20s—and the Internet was quick to pounce—but who among us didn’t stumble through early adulthood? And in the two decades since, we’ve fine-tuned our empathy meters, so when a 20-something today makes the same mistakes she did (and we did) we’re more likely to offer them grace than to squawk in judgment.
All of this is to say that, in hindsight, it’s remarkable that Nicole Richie survived the very worst of the early Internet. (Several of her peers literally didn’t, and many who did have continued to struggle publicly.) As a writer who was raised by digital media, I was thinking about apologizing on behalf of the industry (I was never a tabloid writer, but still) when she showed up early to our Zoom. (“I’m a Virgo!”) But 2024 Nicole has very clearly moved on. She’ll later explain to me the “seasons” of her life—and it’s apparent that in this season, she’s at peace. At 43, she’s smiling and fresh-faced and ready to share a stack of her favorite books, dressed (at least from the waist up) like the most stylish mom at the supermarket. (Assuming you shop for groceries in a posh ZIP code.) She’s reflective and self-deprecating—and deeply appreciative of the, yes, simple life she’s built and the people (and the cats, dogs, chickens, and turtles) in it. Read more about all of it below.
GODMOTHERS: We connected because you engage with the Godmothers Instagram a lot. How did you find us?
NICOLE RICHIE: We have a place in Summerland, so I live nearby.
GODMOTHERS: Have you been to the store yet?
NR: I have! It looks amazing. It was crowded, which is a nice thing to see for a bookstore. It’s beautiful.
GODMOTHERS: I love it so much, too. What kind of books are you drawn to?
NR: Mostly fiction. I read essays as well. Short stories, sometimes, but mostly novels.
GODMOTHERS: What have you read lately that you’ve loved?
NR: I felt like you were going to ask me that, so I brought down the books I’m currently reading; I read multiple books at a time.
GODMOTHERS: That stresses me out! How do you choose which one to pick up?
NR: It depends on my mood. So, right now I’m reading Dracula for fun. And Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, which Lisa Marie started, and her daughter, Riley Keough, finished. I’m interviewing Riley at Graceland this weekend, so I’ve been reading that and taking notes. I’m also reading The Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ new book of essays, and Colored Television by Danzy Senna. She’s so funny and she’s such a great writer. And then, now that it’s fall, I’ve been trying to get back in touch with myself, so Remember Love is the book I’ve been walking around with. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I’m not just saying this because Cleo Wade is one of my best friends. I don’t know if you can see it over Zoom, but almost every page is dogeared. Every page has underlines. It’s really spoken to my soul since it came out.
GODMOTHERS: So you go back to it?
NR: I do.
GODMOTHERS: Do you do that with a lot of books?
NR: Yes, there are many that I reference. I have a night table with a little cutout specifically for the books that I tend to go back to.
GODMOTHERS: What are the others?
NR: Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur. Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Shantaram is the only novel that I tend to go back to. Actually, that’s not true, but that’s my favorite book of all time. And then a book called The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, that’s one I tend to re-read in the fall and winter. I constantly go back to The Journal of a Solitude, which is the collected journals of May Sarton. I re-read that in that fall, too. I read all year round, but in the fall, I like to go inward.
GODMOTHERS: I totally get it. You wrote two novels when you were younger. Do you have another book in you?
NR: I possibly have a book of essays inside me. I worked with another writer on the books I wrote in my 20s. I’m happy I wrote them, but if I were ever to write another book, I would write it myself.
GODMOTHERS: You should. Are there books you loved when you were a kid?
NR: I wasn’t a reader as a kid. I actually hated reading. I grew up in the ’80s and was watching TV.
GODMOTHERS: You’re not the first person who’s said that. One of Godmothers’ co-founders is a prolific reader, and she didn’t find books that spoke to her until she was in college. So you’re in good company. Moving on from books, what do your mornings look like?
NR: So I wake up around 5:30. I do that so I can be alone. And that’s my reading time. I have the books on my night table, and I have two reading lights. One is a rechargeable clip-on light with three different colors of light and five brightness settings. It’s perfect. Truly amazing. And then I was gifted for my birthday last year this, like, headband light, with a flashing red light that I wear just to annoy my husband. It’s by a very luxurious brand, Energizer. It’s not for reading ...
GODMOTHERS: It’s for annoying your husband, which is just as important.
NR: Exactly. The flashing red light is for being annoying, but I also use it on the regular setting to go under the covers in a little cave, and that’s where I read. Normally the cat comes and finds me, and we just have our little moment. Then I wake everyone up around 6:30, and we do the manic school run, and then I head to work.
GODMOTHERS: Where are you getting your news these days?
NR: TikTok. And alerts on my phone—I get CNN, The New York Times. And we watch the news. I like having the news on in my house. It feels like how I grew up.
GODMOTHERS: What apps do you use most frequently?
NR: I have a vocabulary app that introduces you to a new word every day. And I’m so against the idea of playing games on your phone—but I’m a big solitaire player, so I do have this solitaire app, on my phone.
GODMOTHERS: Our first newsletter was with Gloria Steinem, who told me she watches Dance Moms to unwind.
NR: I mean, when I’m playing solitaire, I can just ... let go.
GODMOTHERS: If Gloria Steinem gets Dance Moms, you get your solitaire app.
NR: You know what? I feel very good about my solitaire app. I’m going to own it.
GODMOTHERS: Own it! What are three songs that always put you in a good mood?
NR: “Wild Is the Wind” by Nina Simone. “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince. “Little Bit of Rain” by Karen Dalton. I’ve also been listening to a lot of the Fugees lately.
GODMOTHERS: How do you get yourself out of a funk?
NR: I have a group of girlfriends, and we live near each other and love to walk. Being in nature and going for a walk is definitely helpful. In Remember Love, which I mentioned earlier, Cleo talks a lot about grief and pain and how we’re always trying to “get over it.” But you can’t “get over” grief. You have to move through it. So, I find it’s important to honor my feelings and be patient with myself. And when I’m really down, I need to face it head-on because if I’m ignoring it, I’m ignoring part of myself, and the bad feelings will come back in other ways.
GODMOTHERS: How do you honor grief without getting stuck in it?
NR: I find that really being in it and really acknowledging its presence helps me move on. And then eventually the sun is shining again. I know my soul and my spirit have seasons, and I do struggle with the constant pace of life. I have to create moments of quiet and downtime for myself. May Sarton talks a lot about that in The Journal of a Solitude.
GODMOTHERS: It sounds very meditative. Do you have a formal meditation practice? Or is it just kind of sitting with yourself?
NR: I know how to meditate, but I don’t.
GODMOTHERS: Same. It’s impossible to find time as a mom. Speaking of motherhood, what have you learned from your kids?
NR: So much. They’re 15 and 16, and I love spending time with them. They’re just really cool, interesting, smart people. I just love their perspective—from how they see people to how they see the world. And you know, I’m the first of my friends to hear the new Travis Scott album, so that makes me feel cool. They definitely keep me up to date with all the music and the shows.
GODMOTHERS: Do you have a show that you watch together?
NR: My daughter is a dancer, and she loves Dance Moms. And it’s so funny because she’s a very quiet, demure young woman, and that show is nuts. It’s chaotic and they’re screaming and she loves it. I would never have seen it if it wasn’t for her, but we love watching Dance Moms together. And my son, like me, loves horror movies, so that’s our thing.
GODMOTHERS: New or classics?
NR: He appreciates the classics—Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Who doesn’t love it? It’s one of the best movies of all time.
GODMOTHERS: Agree to disagree? What are some local businesses you love?
NR: I’m from L.A., so I love Book Soup. It’s been around as long as I can remember, and it really is my neighborhood bookstore. I love Red Kettle Coffee in Summerland. And Courage Bagels!
GODMOTHERS: What’s your bagel order?
NR: An everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, lemon, capers, and red onion, and I’ll add fresh dill.
GODMOTHERS: My father-in-law would approve. Is there a charity that’s important to you right now?
NR: I work very closely with Baby2Baby. It started out as a charity that collected gently used items for children in need, and now it provides essentials to more than a million kids across the country. They’re really incredible.
GODMOTHERS: What’s your go-to thank-you gift?
NR: Usually something from Goldbelly. I like to say thank you with food.
GODMOTHERS: Strangely, also just like my father-in-law. What’s your nighttime routine?
NR: The dogs and the cats hate each other, so I come home and spend time with the cats first, then they go upstairs. Then I bring the dogs in. I cook dinner for the family. We eat together, then I get on the couch with the dogs and my husband and we watch a movie or a TV show.
GODMOTHERS: What are you currently watching?
NR: The Penguin. I love it. But I keep falling asleep during it—but it has nothing to do with the show!
GODMOTHERS: Well, again, sounds like my father-in-law. Especially if you’re snoring?
NR: I’m really discovering that I have an “old man” persona during this interview.
GODMOTHERS: You mentioned that you make dinner for your family. What are you cooking?
NR: I love Alison Roman’s recipes. And Pamela Salzman’s. And The New York Times cooking app. Those are the places I go to get different recipes. Oh, and TikTok. My TikTok content is all recipes, book recommendations, and then people being crazy.
GODMOTHERS: I feel like that’s a great algorithm.
NR: Yes! Sometimes I’ll send people videos and they’ll say, “Your algorithm is very disturbing.” And I’m like, “Thank you so much. I worked really hard at it.”
GODMOTHERS: So you know Godmothers, the store, had its grand opening last month. The name was inspired by fairy godmothers—the women who cheer us on, celebrate us, and light us up. Who are the godmothers who shaped your life?
NR: So, fun fact, I have eight godmothers.
GODMOTHERS: Like, eight real godmothers?
NR: Eight real ones! My ’80s parents went full force with the shoulder pads, the contact lenses—and the godparents. They adopted me when I was 8 and had a christening when I was 9, and the photo of me with all the godparents is SO LONG. It’s crazy. So those women are my mom’s friends, but they’ve been in my life for such a long time, and we do have a bond. But my spiritual godmothers are my girlfriends. I live in the same town I grew up in, and I’ve known most of my friends for most of my life. We really have a sisterhood, and I’m so grateful for them. It was a real gift, as I was approaching my 40s, that anyone who wasn’t right for me anymore—anyone who wasn’t aligned with my soul—kind of naturally fell away.
GODMOTHERS: I love that. I feel like something that needs to happen as we evolve.
NR: Yes, you need a nice shed.
GODMOTHERS: Did you have uncomfortable moments? Someone saying, “Let’s get together!” and you’re thinking, “Let’s not.”
NR: No, it was a nice, calm, mutual shed. I have a vegetable garden, and I’ve learned so much from it, from being in nature. You know, in order to grow, you need to shed. You need to be still. You need to have ups and downs.
GODMOTHERS: What’s happening in your garden right now?
NR: It’s been hot, so we still have tomatoes coming in. A lot of root vegetables and leafy greens. I also have chickens for eggs, and they live with my turtles. There’s a lot going on back there.
GODMOTHERS: OK, so in addition to running a full farm, you and Paris Hilton, your Simple Life co-star, just shot Paris & Nicole: The Encore.
NR: Yes, that comes out on Peacock December 13.
GODMOTHERS: You also have House of Harlow, the lifestyle brand you launched in 2008. You’re still the creative director.
NR: Yes! We just did a big relaunch.
GODMOTHERS: What are your favorite pieces?
NR: We have drop earrings that I love. And I work a lot with crystals, so we have new clear-quartz huggies that are beautiful. And tourmaline huggies. I love those because tourmaline protects you from negative energy—like, electromagnetic smog—so I like to have those around my face.
Dracula by Bram Stoker.
From Here to the Great Unknown Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough.
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Colored Television by Danzy Senna.
Remember Love by Cleo Wade.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde.
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur.
Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.
The Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton.
Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman.
Kitchen Matters by Pamela Salzman.
Quotes have been edited for length & clarity. All products mentioned were independently selected. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Godmothers Gather: Upcoming Events
11 a.m. | Saturday, October 19
Storytime: Stephanie Allain
presenting Who’s in Charge?
6 p.m. | Sunday, October 20
On the Stage: Anna Vocino
presenting Eat Happy Italian
6 p.m. | Wednesday, October 23
On the Stage: Claire Bidwell Smith
presenting Conscious Grieving
11 a.m. | Saturday, October 26
Storytime: Brigette Barrager
presenting Lucy!
11 a.m. | Saturday, October 26
Workshop: Shaka Senghor, Journaling for Men
How to Be Free
6 p.m. | Tuesday, October 29
On the Stage: Pat Wadors
presenting Unlock Your Leadership Story
I love Nicole, great interview!
Fantastic getting to know NR. Thank you!