Joel Madden talks about 'sacred' marriage to Nicole Richie: 'I don't fight'

Joel Madden has made a rare comment about his "sacred" relationship with wife Nicole Richie.

During an appearance on the latest episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast, the 47-year-old musician revealed that Nicole is the same person now as she was when he first met her nearly 20 years ago.

“I’m super aware of the way the world works, and the narrative of who Nicole was before the ‘us,’” said Joel. “I don’t fight it, but I will say that Nicole has always been the person she is today."

"I’m her biggest fan, and I was from the first time I met her, because I see someone who’s very strong and has been through a lot and has integrity and self-respect," he continued.

The Good Charlotte rocker added, "There’s an elegance and a bit of class to being above a narrative that everyone else has chosen for you, and she was never that narrative, regardless of some mistakes that she made when she was young."

For those unversed, Nicole rose to fame after starring in the hit reality series The Simple Life. She married Joel in 2010, and the couple has two kids - daughter Kate, 18, and son Sparrow, 16.