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 of Lionel 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.
