Nicole Richie Confirms Her Daughter, 18, Goes by a Different Name: 'She Has Her Whole Life' (Exclusive)
- - Nicole Richie Confirms Her Daughter, 18, Goes by a Different Name: 'She Has Her Whole Life' (Exclusive)
Becca Longmire, Abby SternJanuary 15, 2026 at 5:40 AM
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Nicole Richie and her daughter -
Nicole Richie confirmed that her 18-year-old daughter goes by her middle name, Kate, while talking exclusively to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 14
It comes after she shared a carousel of photos celebrating her daughter's 18th birthday, writing in the caption, "18 years of you ♥️🎂 @katemaddennn"
"She has her whole life," Richie added to PEOPLE about the name use
Nicole Richie is responding to the online reaction over her daughter not going by her first name, Harlow.
While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at an event marking Australian makeup brand Nude by Nature's U.S. Debut on Wednesday, Jan. 14, Richie, 44, discussed the post she shared on Instagram on Monday, Jan. 12, to mark her daughter Harlow Winter Kate's 18th birthday.
At the time Richie shared a carousel of photos featuring her daughter through the years to celebrate the milestone occasion, writing in the caption, "18 years of you ♥️🎂 @katemaddennn."
Fans were quick to point out that the account Richie tagged was under the name Kate, one of Harlow's middle names, speculating that the teenager may go by the name Kate instead of Harlow.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Nicole Richie with her son and daughter Harlow and Sparrow
"Yeah, she goes by her middle name," Richie tells PEOPLE at The Edition in West Hollywood, Calif. "She has her whole life," she added about the online reaction to her post.
As for the comments about the name change left under her post, she adds that "I didn't look, but it makes sense … she goes by her middle name."
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Richie shares her daughter and her son, Sparrow, 16, with Good Charlotte singer, Joel Madden.
Madden responded to Richie's birthday post for their daughter on Monday, writing in the comments section, "That’s my girl ❤️✨."
His brother, Benji Madden, also commented, "How to make a grown man cry!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ love you Kate! You’re a bad ass! Never forget it! Happy 18!! 🎉🎉❤️❤️🎉"
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Back in October, Richie opened up to PEOPLE about her two kids and said it's been nice to watch them transition into teenagers.
"I very much remember I think now that I'm seeing my kids at an age where I remember everything from that age, so they'll be telling me stories of whatever the comings and goings of them and their friends, and it sounds exactly like what I was going through senior year," Richie told PEOPLE. "It's fun. It's like a TV show."
Her comments came after she appeared on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2024 alongside her friend and former costar Paris Hilton. At the time, Richie opened up about how she approaches social media and its impact on her two kids.
"Well, the platforms are there and they exist, and that is how people that age communicate with each other," the proud mom said. "And, you know, I think I have been more inclined to, instead of make it this forbidden thing, to really, first of all, understand it on my own so that I know the world that they know."
She added, "The digital world and the real world are very different things, but it's very real."
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Nicole Richie
Richie continued to share that one of the most important things for her to do as a parent is to "not, not know anything about the digital world because then that just separates me even more from this generation that grew up in that world."
Social media isn't the only thing Richie has learned about from her children. In August 2024, The Simple Life alum told PEOPLE that when it comes to makeup and hair, she learns "everything" from her daughter.
“I learn everything from her,” Richie said at the time. “You would think that I would know how to do my makeup after I have been getting it done for so long, but I'm really bad at it, and she teaches me everything."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
