Nicole Richie

Profession: Socialite
Place/Date of Birth: Berkeley, California, 21 September 2020
Associated with: Paris Hilton

The news comes just days before Nicole is due to make a court appearance, following her arrest in December for driving while under the influence - she was spotted driving the wrong way on a highway. She entered a not guilty plea in February and is due in court on July 11.

Nicole recently told chat show host David Letterman she’s hoping to avoid following pal Paris Hilton to jail.

"I’m keeping my fingers crossed, of course," she said. "I’m scared, but I’m willing to face whatever consequences come my way and I take responsibility for what I’ve done."

Nicole faces a prison sentence if convicted.

Nicole Richie fights DUI charge - June 20 2007
Nicole Richie is reportedly set to fight the driving under the influence charge she picked up last December.

Lawyers for The Simple Life star have announced their client will be contesting the charge, TMZ.com reports - but if she loses she could find herself behind bars just like best mate Paris Hilton.

The blonde already has a prior DUI conviction, so if she is convicted she could face a minimum of 90 days in jail, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

The adopted daughter of singer Lionel Richie was arrested before Christmas after she was seen driving the wrong way on an LA freeway.

She failed a sobriety test and was later charged.

Police at the time said she confessed to smoking pot and having taken Vicodin before being picked up.

A trial date has been set for July 11 after a judge agreed to put it back from June 25.

Just last week, Nicole appeared on American TV to be interviewed by David Letterman on The Late Show, where she revealed her fear about facing the same fate as Paris: "I’m just keeping my fingers crossed.

"Of course, I’m scared also, but, you know, I’m willing to face whatever consequences come my way, and I take responsibility for what I’ve done," she said.

Nicole ’scared of joining Paris in jail’ - June 7 2007
Nicole Richie has told US talk show host David Letterman she is worried about landing in jail along with her celebrity friend Paris Hilton.

"I’m just keeping my fingers crossed, and, you know, of course, I’m scared also, but, you know, I’m willing to face whatever consequences come my way, and I take responsibility for what I’ve done," she said.

Nicole, the 25-year-old daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie, pleaded not guilty in February to driving under the influence. She was arrested on December 11 and volunteered she had smoked marijuana and taken the prescription painkiller Vicodin, but no drugs were found on her or in the car, police said.

The Simple Life star already had a 2003 misdemeanour driving under the influence conviction.

The California vehicle code says if convicted of the offence twice within 10 years, a person can be sentenced to between 90 days and a year in jail and have his or her driving privileges suspended.

During the Late Show taping in New York yesterday, Letterman asked Nicole, who acknowledged previous legal troubles, when she will learn her fate if convicted.

"Probably the end of this month," she responded.

A sympathetic Letterman wished her the best, saying, "I hope you don’t have to go to jail."

Nicole’s heiress pal Paris checked into jail in Los Angeles on Sunday to serve 23 days for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.

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Biography

Nicole Richie was born on September 21, 2020 in Berkeley, California. She was informally adopted by Lionel Richie and his wife, Brenda Harvey-Richie in 1984, and formally adopted into the family six years later (her biological father is assumed to be Richie’s former drummer, and her mother a backstage tour assistant). Her godfather is Michael Jackson.
The subsequent split between Lionel and Brenda led to Nicole descending into drug abuse and a string of arrests. She eventually admitted her dependency and, in 2003, she was admitted into a drug rehabilitation unit.

Around the same time, Nicole was in the limelight on the series that would propel her into the mainstream, ‘The Simple Life’, co-starring with Paris Hilton. The future of the show, which was built on the idea of their close friendship, was put in jeopardy when the pair fell out in 2005. The split was rumored to be caused by Richie showing a copy of Hilton’s ‘One Night In Paris’ sex tape at a social gathering, or her jealousy of Hilton’s rising public profile. In any case, the split was prolonged and dramatic, with tracks on Hilton’s debut album being dedicated to admonishing their former friendship. Although the show continued, the pair stipulated that they did not want to appear on screen together.

She is currently dating American reality TV star and family friend Brody Jenner.
A proportion of her media profile is given over to speculation surrounding her body weight. Despite repeated assertions that she does not struggle with an eating disorder and that she is “naturally skinny”, she finally admitted herself into a private facility for the treatment of Bulimia on October 26.

Keen to prove that she is more than a media curiosity, she is currently working to release her debut album and is trying to break into acting. So far her appearances on screen have been limited to bit parts in music videos and on MadTV, plus one frostily-received film role (in the Josh Stolberg film ‘Kids in America’.)
December 2007