Nicole Richie and Joel Madden attend DCMA store opening, prepare for separation due to tour

Although they ended up skipping the after party and heading home by 10, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, 29, were well prepared to balance their night out opening the Madden twins’ DCMA Collective store with the demands being of new parents. Nicole, 26, laughed,

[My breast pump] is in the car. And wehave a converter because there’s no car charger, so that way I can plugit right in at 10 o’clock!

Instead, they returned home before the clock struck to relieve grandma Richie from babysitting duty. Daughter Harlow Winter Kate is now 9 weeks old, but time doesn’t make it any easier to leave her, even for just a few hours.

Mymom’s with her. It’s fun, but it’s bittersweet because Idon’t like to leave her. And I always wonder, ‘What is she doing?’[I've checked in] twice so far — and I’ve only been gone an hour! Butthis is my adult night so I’m excited to see what the night brings.

It’s so cool to see this come to life because this has been Joel’sdream for a very long time. When I was pregnant I would always wear Joel’s DCMAT-shirts, but now I’m excited to wear the girls’ stuff. And Harlowwears custom DCMA.

Click below to read what’s next for the Richie-Madden family (a separation until mid-April) and what a typical night with Paris Hilton is like nowadays (low-key).

Attending the opening with the pair were Joel’s identical twin Benji and his girlfriend, Nicole’s longtime pal Paris Hilton. According to Paris, the night out was a bit of a change from their recent routine.

[Nicole and Joel] really don’t go out, so we mostly hang out at her mom’s house with the baby and watch movies and cook.

Unfortunately, the get-togethers will be ending, at least until mid-April. The Maddens are taking their band Good Charlotte on the road until April 13th, where they will play international dates in South Africa, Eastern Europe, and the UK in support of their album Good Morning Revival. While Paris will join the twins on the road, Nicole and Harlow will be staying at home. Although he’ll miss his ladies, Joel remarked that it will be made easier with technology on his side.

It’s all about iChat. [Harlow] isgiggling and laughing all the time now. We’re really blessed. She always wakes up every morning laughing and smiling and it’s the best art of my day. She’s an angel, and we are really blessed to havesuch a healthy happy baby. Watching her and Nicole together is reallycool.

Source: People; Us Weekly 1; Us Weekly 2

Comments

Oh great, they’re just separating for the tour. your article made it sound like Nicole and Joel are separating so I didnt even want to read it first. It would be so sad if yet another celeb couple splits.. we need good news these days !!

Sarah’s note: No! I’ll make the title a bit clearer.

- Nikka on March 15th, 2008

I used to carry my pump around too. My husband started calling it my briefcase! “Got the briefcase?” “Are we going to be away long enough that you need the briefcase?” LOL

Nicole sounds like me when I first starting leaving my son. I’d call my mom once or twice an hour, and finally she just said he’s STILL sleeping like he was the last time you called! haha.

The separation will be difficult, but at least it’s only for 3 weeks.

- Pam on March 15th, 2008

Yeah I thought the same thing at first and thought “oh here we go again!”

- Melanie on March 15th, 2008

Even though I don’t know her I am so extremely proud of her. Look at how far she has come! Who would have thought 3 years ago that this would be in the cards for Nicole Richie? She truly has blossomed into a wonderful woman and mom. I admire her a lot.

- Anca on March 15th, 2008

I am a little upset to read about “poor” Nicole and her separation until mid April from her man. It is not really so sad for them to be separated, they have a choice for her to go with him or not. Many wives (and husbands) like me do not have that choice. Our spouses go off for a year or more and we only see them for 18 days out of that time. Not to mention the whole spouse in war zone thing. These are the families that need to be regarded in the “sadly” category.

- Lucy on March 15th, 2008

I am sorry that upset you Lucy, and I am sad to hear of what your family is going through, but I consider joining the military a choice much as Joel forming a band is a choice, so I can see why each separation can and would be sad. JMO. I hope your husband returns safely and soon.

Nicole looks great! I think it’s so funny that Benji and Paris are now dating!

- Debbi on March 15th, 2008

Such a sweet little family

- Stacey on March 15th, 2008

Sorry to hear that Lucy but i completely agree with Debbi both are choices.
And the separation of any family is sad regardless of the reason behind it.
I feel bad for Nicole not being with her man. I have a feeling though that it is going to be harder on Joel. Babies grow up so fast 3 weeks is a lot. Harlow will look and be completely different.

- Dani on March 15th, 2008

Lucy, when you join the military you also make a choice and you know you will most likely be send out to war.

It’s still sad whenever families are separated. That’s why I often don’t understand the choices people make.

- Sarita on March 15th, 2008

yeah. man, my husband made such a bad choice because he wants to stand up and fight for america.. and for people’s freedom to say dumb things…. it would have been much better if he had made the choice to.. say…. be a drug addict.. or go on welfare… *shrug*

being gone from your kids lives for 15 months has nothing to do with the choice you make to serve.. its still hard as can be, and nothing prepares you for it.. i hate when people say “well, you made that choice”… it really isn’t a welcome sentiment.. i hate to be rude, but come on… its hard. its a long time. it feels like it will never end. it is a constant worry. it is a constant state of wondering.. will he come home? will he be ok? will our children remember him?

guess i should just tell myself “oh well, we made this choice…” and maybe i’ll feel better.

- erika on March 15th, 2008

I think we should stick to topic here.
We are talking about Joel Madden being separated from his family to go on tour and how hard that is going to be for the whole family.
I think its fair to say that everyone here support the troops and pray for their safe return but this has nothing to do with this thread.

It is unfair to compare both situations or to say we shouldn’t feel sad for Nicole because Joel is going on tour and not to war. My point is that its not relevant here and bringing it up is just making people [at least me] feel uncomfortable.

- Dani on March 16th, 2008

Erika in no way did I mean to say that it is not hard on you and your family. Of course it’s hard and I do feel for you being separated and having to worry. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a choice to join up. I didn’t say a bad choice, but a choice that when you make it, you know the consequence is going to war.

- Sarita on March 16th, 2008

I agree with Dani, Debbi, and Sarita. This isn’t a competition for sympathy anyway, time away from your family, especially your newborn, is sad and hard regardless of the reason behind it. I don’t see the point in downplaying one in favor of the other. We support our troops and want them home safely as soon as possible, but it doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Joel will have to leave Harlow and Nicole for three weeks. Add in the fact that this will be the first major separation since Nicole’s been pregnant and they have a right to be dreading it.

Anca, ITA! I don’t know her and I’m unspeakably proud of her as well! What a difference the love of a good man and the love for a child can make. I do believe becoming a parent is the best thing that could have happened to her. She looks fabulous, healthy, and well loved.

- Grayson's Girl on March 16th, 2008

This bf-ing mom looks too skinny. I really hope she’s eating enough and quality foods as well.

Ah, my husband is away for two weeks to visit his family in Morocco. He hasn’t seen them in 4 years. I’ll be glad when he’s home.

- pinayhekmi on March 16th, 2008

Wow. But I agree with the posters who say stop trying to “one-up.” All families make choices – and yes, the situations listed here are just that – and they are always hard. But nobody has the right to tell someone else to get over it or to tell others not to be sympathetic because they think their situation is worse? And to the poster who said her husband chose to go to war rather than be a drug dealer? What in the world? Apples and oranges people.

I think Nicole and Joel seem to be doing a great job and I wish them both the best. Can’t wait to see more of little Harlow.

- brannon on March 16th, 2008

Three Weeks?! There’s such a big difference. I don’t think three weeks is sad, unless one of them is in the hospital or something. He’s going on tour and she could go if she wanted. It’s his choice to leave, I’m sure they could have postponed the tour if they wanted.
I know this isn’t supposed to be a debate, but come on, we seem to be making a big deal about three weeks. A choice to be in a band and a choice to join to the military are not the same thing. As the lead singer of the band, I’m sure Joel has a lot more power about when and where he wants to do things then a Soldier does.
Most people in the military, have to continue to support their families. Joel could quit at any time. And three weeks of touring in Europe cannot be compared to months-to-years at war. Seriously.

- Ellia on March 16th, 2008

I don’t necessarily think she was saying it wasn’t going to be hard on Nicole, just that we shouldn’t forget about the extended periods of time military families are separated.

Regarding the choice members of the military make, it’s my opinion you have to take that into context. You might feel obligated to make the choice, either to give your family a better future (in order to earn a salary, go to college, protect this country’s freedoms). Not to mention that if our servicemen and women didn’t make this choice it could very well take the “choice” away for the rest of us by means of necessitating a draft.

And, importantly, I think, is that while you may make the choice to sign up for the military, you aren’t making the choice for when or how long you will go. There are many service people whose stay has been extended without their input. People who finish a tour and then have to immediately tour again even though they anticipated some time at home.

I also know that many reservists who signed up before the war who have been called to active duty multiple times and longer than they ever anticipated – which, yes, is always a possibility and one to be prepared for when you sign up, but still.

I just think compassion is key in all these situations, and that that doesn’t have to take away from Nicole. I think the situations are also relevant and that if we can’t talk about real life here when relevant, it takes away from this blog and merely punishes those putting in their thoughts and reactions to the post.

- Jeanette on March 16th, 2008

I hope we see pictures of harlow again soon

- gabriella on March 16th, 2008

Ellia-perhaps three weeks isn’t a long separation over the course of an entire lifetime, but Harlow is barely two months old and I imagine changing so much every day that a few weeks WOULD seem almost endless. And I would say that about any couple with a newborn, famous or not.

To those comparing military separations to civilian ones, I think are missing the point. I myself am in the Navy, and like others have said it was most definitely a choice. Will it be said if/when I have to leave my family for extended periods of time? Of course! Do I believe this separation would be any less sad for the people who love me if I were simply going on a band tour? I really don’t think so. Absence is absence and yes, even extended war tours are a choice because you are told this is a distinct possibly before enlisting.

btw, I love how much time Nicole’s mom is having with the baby. This is going to make all three of them even closer, I think.

- Erica on March 16th, 2008

Um, this is by far the strangest flow of convo I’ve probably ever seen in the CBB messages. I really don’t get this. Nicole Richie is allowed to be nervous about the first time she as a first time mother will be without her partner around to help with their newborn. Those are HER feelings about HER situation. She’s not in a competition with military families over whose situation is the worst.

This topic ISN’T relevant to the post. And to the suggestion that Joel is off playing with the band, while military families are supporting their families..News Flash: That IS the way Joel supports his family. It’s his JOB. And heaven forbid if Nicole had gone on tour with them…I can see the posts now: “OMG! Nicole taking a newborn on a band tour, planes, buses, traveling all over the world with a newborn! What a horrible mother!!” I feel for anyone who has to be on their own, without the support of their partner, with a newborn. And, yes, it’s hard on military families, but this is not a competition. It’s just a simple little story about a completely different situation.

- Ellen on March 16th, 2008

I can’t help but notice the double standards going on here. Joel chooses to leave his child for 3 weeks when she is really young and there are a bunch of people on here defending him saying he’s “providing for his family” and yet if the situation was reversed and the mother was the one going on tour for three weeks the posters would be ripping her apart and saying what a negligent mother she is. It must be nice to be a father and be able to leave whenever you want and still have people defend it.

- Sadie on March 16th, 2008

If Nicole and Joel didn’t want their family to be separated then he could have stayed home or she should have gone along. I will spare my sympathy for people who don’t have the options to stay together.

And I think those who say that a separation is a separation regardless of what kind are the ones who are missing the point. Yes, all separations are hard on families, but some families have the option of staying together despite work difficulties, other families don’t.

- Daisy on March 16th, 2008

But where in the article does Nicole or Joel ask for anyone’s sympathy? That is what I am wondering. No where in that article is Nicole saying that she is seeking anyone’s pity or that with her situation she should gain any more favoritism than someone whose family is in the military.

I can’t even comprehend how someone would read that article and feel the least bit slighted or upset. She is merely relaying her feelings and the circumstances regarding HER situation. Nothing more. She is allowed to feel sad and or a little nervous that he is going to be gone while she has a young baby at home.

I felt the very same way when my husband left for a two week business trip when my twins were nine weeks old. Yes, I was sad and a bit overwhelmed but never once in those emotions was I asking for someone’s sympathy.

Honestly, I sometimes think we as women just love nothing more than to sit back and bash others just for the hell of it. There always seems to be an attempt to one up the next person with, “Oh you’re such a bad mother for feeling XYZ, I would never feel that way” or “I would never do that.”

It’s madness. One minute people are begging these celebs to be more open and share more of themselves with the public and then when they do, it’s CRITICIZE until the cows come home.

- lizzielui on March 16th, 2008

I remember pumping in the car at a wedding reception with my first child…a true indicator that times had changed!

- UggaMugga.com on March 16th, 2008

“One minute people are begging these celebs to be more open and share more of themselves with the public and then when they do, it’s CRITICIZE until the cows come home.”

Did it every occur to you that maybe the people who want to know tons of information are not the same people who think they’re sharing too much.

I personally think that Nicole and Joel seem too focused on what other people think. In every interview they seem to be trying to respond to comments made about them on the internet. It’s beyond me why they care what anyone thinks. If they know they’re spending enough time with their child then that should be good enough for them. The fact that they’re so focused on letting everyone know that they don’t go out that much (which is not true by the way) and that the baby is only with relatives (which may or may not be true) is very telling.

- Olivia on March 16th, 2008

I don’t understand this, it is almost like someone felt the need to hijack this post to get symapthy for their own situation. I read the article, then I read the comments and went back to the article as I was sure that I must have missed something, but no.

The quote is: Although he’ll miss his ladies, Joel remarked that it will be made easier with technology on his side.

Not once in the article does it say that Nicole is stressed or upset or worried. The comment is that JOEL will miss his girls just like most dads do when they have to go away whether it is for a long time or not.

I agree with a previous poster who commented that Nicole can’t seem to win with this one, she gets blasted for the fact that Joel is going on tour without her, but if she did go with him and took Harlow, she would get blasted for that as well.

- Mel on March 16th, 2008

“Honestly, I sometimes think we as women just love nothing more than to sit back and bash others just for the hell of it. There always seems to be an attempt to one up the next person with, “Oh you’re such a bad mother for feeling XYZ, I would never feel that way” or “I would never do that.”

That whole myth about how women judge other women and the “mommy wars” stuff is getting old. It’s not that women judge women, it’s that people judge other people. It is human nature to judge, we all do it. It’s not a phenomenon that is confined to any one gender. And yet the second a woman dares to make any comment that isn’t all sunshine and rainbows the comments about how “women are so catty” or “women judging women” come out. People judge other people, end of story. It has nothing to do with gender.

- Rachel on March 16th, 2008

As a frequent member of this site, I think it is quite obvious to see that some of the same women who “Can’t wait to hear the details of so and so celebs’ pregnancy” are some of the same women who judge those very same celebs harshly. I am not calling out any one poster in particular but this is in fact something that I have noticed on this board and several others.

Furthermore, I believe that a lot of the criticisms and judgements that people hand out on this board definitely has a lot to do with gender based on the fact that we are mostly mothers with children here criticizing other mothers and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of leeway when it comes to the way other WOMEN choose to raise their children around here.

I strongly believe that there is a lot of unwarranted bashing back and forth simply because another mother chooses to do something differently. Someone can make the most benign comment about breast feeding and then BOOM, a full fledged war has begun. Same with SAHM and Working mothers.

As a woman who grew up in a house with four sisters I know first hand that we women sometimes relate to one another and put issues on each other in ways that are sometimes downright silly. That is not to say that men do not have their own issues, because clearly they do.

However, I am speaking as woman because this is my experience. With this is mind, I feel strongly that we as women need to be more supportive of each other. No one is asking for comments that are all sunshine and rosy.

However, it makes no sense at all to turn an article in which a couple innocuously discusses how they are going to be separated for three weeks into something about men in the military who have to leave their families and how they should gain more sympathy than someone like Nicole and Joel. Like a previous poster said, when you go back and re-read the article you wonder, “WHY ON EARTH IS THERE A DEBATE GOING ON HERE?”

- lizzielui on March 16th, 2008

Wow.
Joel is not seeking sympathy from anyone? He just said he’s going to miss his family while on tour, just like anyone else would. He’s not being all “OMG, feel sorry for me guys.” Besides, he said he wouldn’t want to take Harlow anyways, because she’s still so young. Also, I can imagine the tabloids being all over it calling them ‘horrible’ parents again if Nicole and Harlow went on tour with the band.

- joely moley on March 16th, 2008

Amen, Lizzielui.

- PSB on March 16th, 2008

Okay, this turned into something ridiculous. Where in the article does it say he’s seeking sympathy? That’s right, nowhere. All he said is that he is going to miss his girls, for God’s sake. Just like anyone else would! He just says with the advance in technology he’ll still be able to communicate with them.

If he was out there crying during the interview about how he has to leave for the tour, then I would understand why some could be mad about this. Yes, they are soldiers in Iraq who have no choice. Yes, Joel does have a choice, and he chose to leave for 3 weeks for the already rescheduled tour. Like I said, he’s not whining about how he has to leave. People are just twisting his words.

As for the whole “Joel and Nicole are too focused on what people think about them.” Please, did it ever occur that maybe they keep being asked where their daughter is? Are they supposed to just stand and shrug the question off. And if they feel like sharing the information with the world, let them! I don’t understand why this would be such a crime. I think people are taking some things too seriously.

Lizzielui, thank you! Finally there’s someone else who didn’t blow this out of proportion.

Pfft *sigh* I just wanted to add this to my previous comment.

- joely moley on March 17th, 2008

“Furthermore, I believe that a lot of the criticisms and judgements that people hand out on this board definitely has a lot to do with gender based on the fact that we are mostly mothers with children here criticizing other mothers…”

My statement that gender has nothing to do with it was in response to someone else’s sweeping statement that “women like to criticize women.” I’m aware of the fact that this board is comprised almost totally of women, my point was this board is not indicative of everyone.

You could look at this board and jump to the conclusion that women are hard on women because the only people here doing the criticizing are women, but that’s only because this board is made up of women.

If you look at the whole picture it’s possible to see that this board is not a true reflection of the whole world, and that the posters on this board are about 10% critical and 90% people who aren’t being critical. Which kind of blows the theory of “women are all critical of women” out of the water.

It’s amazing to me that ALL women are being labeled as catty, judgemental, and overly critical because of 10% of the people on ONE message board. I would think that in this day and age we could move beyond those old, tired cliches about women.

- Rachel on March 17th, 2008