Nicole Richie 'anchored' by Joel Madden
Nicole Richie's life was turned around by Joel Madden.
The reformed party girl - who has children Harlow, two, and Sparrow, 11 months, with the Good Charlotte rocker - has delighted her father Lionel Richie with the way she has got herself back on the right path.
Lionel said: "I think Joel had a lot to do with it, Joel's an anchoring soul for Nicole. He came in the door once and said, 'Mr. Richie, I just want to let you know I've got control of this.' I was like, 'No you don't! Are you kidding me?'
"But I think that was the start: she found somebody that would challenge her stuff. They are a great team and I love him very much."
The legendary soul singer - who formally adopted Nicole when she was nine - admitted seeing his daughter go off the rails was a "brutal" experience, but he is now proud of the way she has dealt with becoming a mother.
He added to Closer magazine: "It was brutal. You're a parent so you'd like to just take them and put them in a basket and say: 'I'll protect you.' But when they're over 18 they get to walk out and you can't keep them in a bubble. You have to sit and kind of watch it, because there's nothing you can do.
"Nicole turned into a mom! She's done a great job, I'm really proud of her. She grabbed the bull by the horns and turned it around."
