filed under: Nicole Richie

NEW mom Nicole Richie is constantly cooing over her love of suburban life - at least she was until best friend Paris Hilton moved in next door. Richie lives with baby daddy Joel Madden in Glendale, Calif., and Joel's twin brother, Benji Madden, who now dates Hilton, lives next door. Friends of Richie told Page Six recently, "Nicole moved out there to get away from the paparazzi, but when Paris calls them they come to her quiet street and disrupt everything. She's getting a little fed up."

Lionel Richie has been banned from performing in New York's Hamptons after locals protested about the noise.

Party promoter Scott Feldman planned to charge guests $1,250 each to watch Richie sing in the backyard of his rented home in the Long Island town of Sag tonight, reports the New York Post's gossip column Page Six.

But the newspaper claims requests for a permit were turned down after wealthy residents of the town -- where rocker Billy Joel also has a home -- stepped in.

Looks like baby Harlow hasn't settled Nicole Richie's wild side yet.

We're told Nicole was involved in an altercation around 1 AM this morning with a female while in line at the valet outside the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. Sources say Richie was so rowdy she had to be escorted off the property by security!

Nicole Richie wants to publish her own cookbook. The 'Simple Life' star - who has battled eating disorders in the past - has been preparing home-cooked meals for fiance Joel Madden and wants to pass on her recipes.

A source close to Nicole - who has a five-month-old daughter Harlow with the Good Charlotte rocker - told America's OK! magazine: "She keeps a box full of recipes handwritten on index cards. She has macaroni and cheese down to a fine science! She also makes sure she keeps things low-fat to help her and Joel watch their weight."

“Joel is determined not to marry Nicole until she asks forgiveness for her sins and is willing to raise little Harlow with the same religious upbringing that he had,” a source told The Enquirer. “Joel may look like a rebel, but the truth is he is an old-fashioned conservative guy with hardcore Christian beliefs.

“… The Bible is a big part of his life - so much so that he has a tattoo of Jesus and a Sacred Heart on his arms. Joel went to church regularly as a kid and he believes that God has made him what he is today. He has seen all the problems that spoiled Hollywood children like Nicole encountered, and is determined to prevent Harlow from being the stereotypical Beverly Hills brat.”

In an attempt to break from her checkered past of rehab stints, drunk driving and drug arrests, Nicole has already begun her spiritual transformation, says a close friend. And insiders say she couldn’t be happier. “It looks like Nicole is on the way to fully embracing Joel’s religious beliefs,” said the friend. “She knows how great her life has become thanks to him.”

As The Enquirer reported last week, Nicole has had trouble coping with the stress of motherhood. “Joel thinks God will be the ultimate answer to her problems,” continued the source…. “As much as Joel loves Nicole, and is dedicated to being her rock, he feels like their marriage would never work unless they are on the same page with their religious beliefs,” added the source. “Bottom line, he wants a Christian family.”

Childbirth, it seems, brings out the entrepreneurial spirit. Just ask new mom Nicole Richie, who's looking to stage a comeback of sorts to the same genre that made her a star, of sorts. EW.com has learned that the former coheadliner of The Simple Life has been pitching a reality show that would scour the country for the next, well, Nicole Richie. According to one exec who's heard the pitch, the unscripted show would take seven girls from across the U.S. and test their ability to achieve insta-fame. Richie and a panel of judges would then whittle down the competition in preparation for the live finale, at which time the winner — drumroll, please...would be awarded her own reality show! Word is at least three cable networks are interested in the pitch.

While Nicole Richie was home caring for her baby, her fiancé Joel Madden spent a boozy night partying with Lindsay Lohan. Needless to say, Nicole was crushed. The trouble started for the new mom after she decided to stay home with their 4-month-old daughter, Harlow, while Joel deejayed at Hornitos’ Cinco de Mayo party at Crown Bar in L.A. However, while there, the Good Charlotte rocker seemed more interested in a seductive Lindsay than in spinning records.

“Their heads were practically touching, and he had his leg over hers,” says one onlooker. “Joel has a flirtatious side, and he definitely wasn’t turning her away.” Nicole was immediately alerted to the situation by her arch-frenemy Paris Hilton, who sent her a devastating text message: Lindsay was all over Joel!

Making the situation worse, Nicole frantically tried to call Joel, but he wasn’t answering his phone. “He was so zeroed in on Lindsay, he never heard his cell ring,” a friend of the couple tells Star. “Nicole felt so incredibly helpless and upset that she threw her phone against the wall in a rage.”

“Nicole is torn between being a mommy and being a party girl,” an insider told the publication. “She wants to go out and have fun, but when she does, she’s like, ‘Uh-oh, Harlow needs me.’”

“Nicole really misses her carefree life. Before Harlow came along, Nicole never had to worry about anything. All she did was party with her friends and go shopping. Now she’s totally overwhelmed by her new responsibility, even though she adores her daughter. Nicole still can’t figure out if she’s happier when she’s home with the baby or hitting the town with her friends!”

"I am bustier now and I really don't like it. It doesn't really fit with my wardrobe, it's not who I am. I am not someone who is used to wearing a bra or having to wear a bra. I really don't like it.

"I like wearing vintage hippy see-through shirts that aren't slutty on me because there is nothing to look at. Now I have boobs so I can't really wear it because it sends out a different message."

Nicole Richie didn’t just beat rival Christina Aguilera to the delivery room by having daughter Harlow on Jan. 11, one day before Aguilera gave birth to son Max, but it appears Richie will beat Aguilera on the newsstand as well.

Both new moms each had their own cover of People magazine, and according to some early estimates, the issue featuring Richie is on target to sell more than 1.8 million copies, according to an industry source, whereas Aguilera's has sold far less. (People magazine could not confirm sales numbers; a spokesperson said its too soon to know how many copies were sold.)

Why does there seem to be more interest in Harlow Winter Kate Madden? One magazine insider said part of it could come down to the moms’ fan bases. “Christina historically doesn’t do that well on covers,” said the source, who cites poor sales of her wedding photo issue in OK!, and less-than-stellar sales of her nude photo shoot in the January 2008 Marie Claire.

That might be true, but Nicole Richie doesn’t seem like an obvious home run on the cover, either. “There’s also a greater element of curiosity with Nicole,” the source conceded. “She’s gone public about being a heroin addict. Her boyfriend is covered in tattoos. By default, she’s got the more interesting baby. People want to see how she settles down. They want to see what kind of baby someone with her background has.”

Nicole Richie and her rocker boyfriend Joel Madden are the parents of a daughter. Harlow Winter Kate Madden was born Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and weighed 6 lbs. 7 oz.

Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman welcomed a baby boy on Saturday at 10:05 p.m. Max Liron Bratman [weighed] 6 lbs., 2 oz. and 20.5 inches [and] arrived late on Saturday night in L.A.

"I remember walking into the office and telling my managers, 'I think at around five or six months I'm probably going to be really tired and I'm not going to want to do a lot.' But I've been totally fine. I've been up and at them every single day and I've been ready to go. You just have to listen to what your body tells you. But so far I've been great. I haven't slowed down yet!"

[Nicole Richie] recently bought a canine tuxedo for her mutt, Honeychild, and a bridesmaid dress for her Pomeranian, Foxxy Cleopatra, from tony Santa Monica pet store The Wagging Tail. She wants the pooches to walk down the aisle with her when she weds her baby daddy.

Xtina is back in Los Angeles after her doctor ordered her on bed rest after contracting the flu. She cancelled the rest of her tour and came home. Xtina has yet to confirm she's popping one out.

A source claims Nicole wanted a girl, but she's "happy" she's having a boy. This source said, “She’s having fun planning for the baby — shopping, picking out names and designing a nursery."

Nicole on her pregnancy: “I’m almost four months.” (ABC)

Nicole on the past year: “I don’t consider it one of the worst. I think this was a blessing in disguise. This year has been full of lessons learned and soul-searching. … I will be really happy once I have done my jail time. I can start fresh.” (OK!)

Nicole on her guilty plea: “I have a responsibility and it’s something that I did wrong, and if I could personally apologize to every single person who has lost a loved one from drunk driving, I would. Unfortunately, I can’t, but this is my way of paying my dues and taking responsibility and being an adult.” (ABC News)

Nicole on feeling remorse: “I was watching CNN about a month ago, and they happened to be talking about young people driving under the influence. They were flashing little kids (on the screen) who were killed by drunk drivers, and it broke my heart. It was a big wake-up call.” (OK!)

Nicole on her sentence: “It was a fair, standard sentence. I expected that.” (OK!)

Nicole on comparisons with Hilton’s sentence: “We weren’t charged with the same thing. We had different judges. This isn’t a popularity contest, and it’s not up to people to compare my case with Paris’.” (OK!)

Nicole on why she was on a painkiller when she was arrested: “I have really bad menstrual cramps.” (OK!)

Nicole on whether she has taken drugs since December: “No.” (OK!)

Nicole on her favourite foods: “Sushi. I’m not sure how great that is for me. I also love pizza; I’m a junk-food eater by nature.” (OK!)