Nicole Richie: From Wild to Mild

USMagazine, Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 8:10am (PDT)

It's been a crazy couple of years for Nicole Richie!

Lionel Richie's daughter is far from the hard-partying, wild child she used to be. Nicole turns 30 Wednesday, but her transformation throughout her twenties will not soon be forgotten! 

CHECK OUT US' GALLERY OF NICOLE RICHIE: WILD TO MILD!

In 2003, Nicole and then-BFF, Paris Hilton, starred in the reality series The Simple Life. The California-natives played up their elitist upbringing, comically trying to make their way at menial jobs in a small, rural community.

In Feb. 2003, the reality star was arrested in Malibu and charged with possession of heroin while driving without a license. Following a stint in rehab, she received another DUI in Dec. 2006. In July 2007, she was sentenced to four days in jail, but served less than 2 hours due to overcrowding.

NEWS: 25 things you don't know about Nicole

In Nov. 2006, Richie began dating Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden. In Jan. 2008, the couple welcomed daughter Harlow Winter Kate, and in Sept. 2009 they had a son, Sparrow James Midnight. The duo wed in Dec. 2010 at Lionel Richie's L.A. estate.

PHOTOS: Harlow's cutest moments

In Oct. 2008, Richie debuted her jewelry line, and in Spring 2010 it was extended to apparel and shoes. She also created a collection of maternity clothes.

She told Harper's Bazaar in 2008: "I owe [my] baby my life." Her father agreed, telling the magazine: "Motherhood has given her all the keys to understanding how her mother and I were trying to raise her. Now it has come full circle."

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