Nicole Richie and Joel Madden locked in bitter feud!
At a time when Nicole Richie and Joel Madden should be picking out baby names, they’re instead locked in a feud over Nicole’s renewed friendship with celebrity fashion maven Rachel Zoe.
Joel believes Rachel, star of Bravo’s The Rachel Zoe Project, is partially to blame for Nicole’s struggles with an eating disorder – and he’s fuming that the two women have reconnected, say sources close to the couple.
"Joel is very protective of the mother of his child, and he thinks Rachel is a terrible influence on Nicole," an insider told The ENQUIRER. "He and Nicole have had some pretty heated arguments over the issue."
Nicole broke off her personal and professional relationship with pin-thin Rachel in November 2006 amid claims that the fashion maven was an unhealthy influence. It was also around that time that she and Joel started dating.
The former Simple Life star also entered rehab on an outpatient basis to focus on nutrition and proclaimed she "wanted to surround herself with positive people and influences." Just weeks later, Nicole posted a thinly veiled jibe at Rachel on her MySpace page, referring to her as "raisin face," saying she "hides her deathly disorder by pointing the finger at me."
Despite Joel’s steady influence and a period of recovery and healthy weight gain, Nicole continued to drift off course.
In May 2007, 5-foot-2 Nicole – pregnant and weighing just 83 pounds – checked into rehab to battle a prescription pill addiction and anorexia.
"Joel gave her an ultimatum and threatened to leave her unless she cleaned up," said the insider.
"He associates that nightmare period of Nicole’s life – the pills and the dieting – with Rachel. He is convinced that she corrupted Nicole."
Rachel, who has styled weight-challenged starlets Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton, has fought back against charges that she’s encouraged clients to use dangerous weight-loss aids.
But, the insider insisted, "Joel doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that as soon as Nicole erased Rachel from her life, she got healthy and gained 20 pounds.Now with Rachel back in the picture, he’s scared of Nicole relapsing."
