Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are now the proud parents of an adult. The pair rang in their daughter's 18th birthday on January 12 with an emotional tribute on Instagram.
Nicole posted a series of photos of their oldest child through the years along with a short message that revealed Harlow no longer goes by her first name.
"18 years of you @katemaddennn," Nicole wrote, to which Joel commented: "That's my girl," and his twin brother, Benji Madden, added: "How to make a grown man cry!! love you Kate! You’re a bad ass! Never forget it! Happy 18!!"
Nicole cradles her newborn baby
Born as Harlow
Fans were quick to notice Harlow's new identity and asked why she was now going by the name Kate.
Her full moniker is Harlow Winter Kate Madden, and the couple explained why they liked the name in an interview with People in 2008.
"I wanted a hippie name and he wanted a more biblical name," she told the outlet, and explained her husband is a fan of actress Jean Harlow while she liked the model Shalom Harlow.
The Good Charlotte rocker added: "Harlow's cool because it feels like a classic name."
She shared several throwbacks for her daughter's birthday
She has four names
Winter was picked due to the "serene" nature of the season, and while Nicole always liked Kate, she previously confessed: "I knew I'd never name my kid that because it was just too plain."
Still, it appears Harlow prefers Kate over her birth name and her family have accepted the change.
Joel has a close bond with his daughter
'That's my girl'
Nicole and Benji are also parents to their son, Sparrow, 16, and despite their fame, they've managed to raise their kids mostly out of the spotlight.
Speaking recently about what it is like to be a mom to teenagers, Nicole told People: "I'm seeing my kids at an age where I remember everything from that age, so they'll be telling me stories of whatever the comings and goings of them and their friends, and it sounds exactly like what I was going through senior year.
She added: "It's fun. It's like a TV show."
© Getty ImagesHarlow appears to go by the name Kate
All grown up
The Madden-Richie family have only made a handful of public appearances together over the years, but in April 2024, they they stepped out for the premiere of Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, alongside Nicole's dad, Lionel Richie, his girlfriend Lisa Parigi, and his ex-wife Brenda Harvey-Richie, Nicole's adoptive mom.
Nicole starred on the Simple Life with Paris Hilton
Being honest
Nicole has come a long way since her wilder days when she starred alongside Paris Hilton on the reality TV show, The Simple Life.
But she's been open with her children about her antics growing up.
They look a lot alike
Mini-me
"They know everything I did," she admitted. "I knew before I had them that I was going to have to be transparent with them about who I was. And I’ve actually found freedom in that. I didn’t want my kids having some big discovery about me.
"I’ve always been very open and honest with my kids and hope that they are open and honest with me."
