Nicole Richie Says Her Kids with Joel Madden 'Grew Up on a Tour Bus': ‘We Turned Bunks into Cribs’ (Exclusive)

Richie shares daughter Harlow and son Sparrow with her musician husband

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Hannah Sacks
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Hannah Sacks
Hannah Sacks is a writer/reporter for the Parents team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since May 2023. Her work has previously appeared in The Toy Insider, The Toy Book, The Pop Insider, and Saratoga Living.
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Natalia Senanayake
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Natalia Senanayake

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

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Published on May 17, 2024 11:02AM EDT
Nicole Richie with son and daughter Harlow and Sparrow los angeles 04 02 24
Nicole Richie and her two kids Harlow and Sparrow. Photo:

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Nicole Richie’s kids got a taste of touring life at a young age. 

Speaking to PEOPLE about her new partnership with ResortPass, The Simple Life alum, 42, shares some of her past travel experiences, remembering how she brought her two kids on tour with husband Joel Madden, 45, who is the lead vocalist for Good Charlotte.

“When my kids were born, my husband was on tour, so they grew up on a tour bus,” Richie tells PEOPLE. “I was setting up a pack-and-play on the floor of the tour bus. We turned one of the bunks into cribs, and that’s how they spent a good portion of their childhood, which I think is fun.” 

Richie shares her daughter Harlow, 16, and son Sparrow, 14, with Madden.

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Lionel Richie (left), Lisa Parigi, Harlow Madden, Sparrow Madden, Nicole Richie, Brenda Harvey-Richie and Joel Madden
Lionel Richie (left), Lisa Parigi, Harlow Madden, Sparrow Madden, Nicole Richie, Brenda Harvey-Richie and Joel Madden.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Nicole Richie Says Husband Joel and Their Kids Can't Agree on Vacations: ‘Maddens Do Not Like the Beach’ (Exclusive)

Elsewhere in the interview, Richie shares that although she loves a good beach vacation, she hasn’t been able to convince her entire family to make the trip. 

“My daughter and I love the beach and my husband and son do not. It's very Madden. Maddens do not like the beach, but my daughter loves it,” she tells PEOPLE, noting that the Good Charlotte rocker and Sparrow are “more city people.”

“My husband thinks it's disgusting that I will lay in the sand. I don't even need to have a towel. I just like to be there," she continues. "I like to have the hot sand on me, jump in the water. That's my idea of my dream vacation.”

She says both her son and husband don't even like to “touch sand,” making family beach getaways even more of a struggle.

In a recent sit-down with Interview Magazine, the actress was asked to share her opinions on motherhood at large. 

"Motherhood is the most wild ride and the absolute best," Richie said when asked about the topic.

Richie was also asked about her opinion on twins, given that her husband is one part of Good Charlotte alongside his twin brother Benji Madden. "Raising twins is nuts," Richie teased.

In April, Richie was asked in an interview with Variety if her kids had ever seen footage from her 2003 series The Simple Life with Paris Hilton, 43.

"The Simple Life is apparently having a big moment on TikTok, so they do tell me that they watch clips on TikTok," Richie said of her kids. "Their friends watch it. I get a lot of eye rolls in my house all the time. It's right on brand with how they see me, in general."

Although Richie said she doesn't think it's likely that her kids will join her in the industry. 

"I'm not sure. I highly doubt that my son does," the mom of two told the outlet. "My daughter might but she's not banging down my door asking about it. She's really living that 16-year-old life."