On Thursday, Steve Whitmore, the spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, confirmed that Richie's
attorney requested she serve out her four-day sentence at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, the
same jail where pal Hilton served the majority of her probation-violation sentence earlier this summer.
"Her attorney has indicated to us that she wants to come to the L.A. County Jail, but that is all we know," he told E! News.
No surrender date for Richie has been given, though the former Simple Life star has until Sept. 28 to complete her stint
behind bars.
When she was sentenced last week, Superior Court Commissioner Steven K. Lubell gave Richie the choice of serving
her time in either city or county jail.
Prosecutors noted that if Richie opted for a cushier city jail, she'd have to do the full four days. But if she chose a county
facility, she would likely serve only a portion of her time, perhaps as little as a few hours because of overcrowding.
Word of her jail preference came hours after the first part of her much hyped sit-down with Diane Sawyer aired, in which
the expectant Richie appeared not only apologetic over her ill-fated driving-under-the-influence excursion last
December but credited it for turning her life around.
"I literally thought I was okay to drive, and clearly wasn't," the 25-year-old said on Good Morning America. "It was bad
decision after bad decision after bad decision. It's been a pattern in my life. When I get into trouble, I try to get out of it...
ever since I was little."
Hence her original not-guilty plea to the DUI charge, something she ultimately changed to guilty after reassessing her
responsibilities and watching a particularly disturbing report on the news about children who had been killed by drunk
drivers.
"At that moment, I literally felt like the worst person in the world for even trying to get out of the situation.
"I really wasn't learning anything from that," she said of her penchant for getting out of trouble first, learning lessons
later. She added that her behavior pattern had simply led to her to make "mistake after mistake after mistake."
Of her exploits over the last year, Richie, who was accompanied during the interview by rocker beau Joel Madden, said
she simply "wasn't growing, I wasn't going anywhere, and I saw myself going down that road again with this particular
situation."
While in the past, Richie has openly admitted to taking drugs and, in 2003, attended court-ordered rehab after cops
found her with a balloon of heroin, she told Sawyer that on Dec. 11, she had smoked marijuana and taken a Vicodin, for
which she didn't have a prescription, to treat menstrual cramps—though had done nothing else.
"Just marijuana," she said. "I had Vicodin in my system from that day. I never in my head thought that could play a part in
your driving. Like, never did I think that."
Richie also explained how exactly she found herself heading the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway, before simply
parking in the HOV lane.
"I got confused," she said of her orientation. "It was a new neighborhood for me...I just stopped."
Of how she felt when the police arrived, Richie said, "Scared would be the core word."
For his part, Madden, who lives the sort of rock lifestyle that involves studying the Bible, said Richie's bust was a make-
or-break situation for the couple.
"This is a great time to walk away," he says he remembered thinking at the time, adding that he had already come up
with an exit strategy. "Nicole, it's been great, but you just freaked me out."
Madden, however, opted to "go with my gut, and you know, my gut with Nicole has always been she's a great woman."
As for whether a repeat of the situation may occur down the line, both responded in the negative.
"There would no question, 'cause I don't have time for that," Madden said. "I bet on her. And I won."
As for Richie, four months along in her pregnancy, she said there is "absolutely no way" she would fall. When pressed
by Sawyer as to how she could be so sure she'd stick to the straight and narrow, she admitted it was "because I never
took it seriously before."
"I owe this baby my life. I owe this baby everything, and I have a responsibility now for someone else. I have to set the
right examples. I want to be the best parent I can be. I would really want to be someone my child would look up to."
As for the child, the couple does not yet know whether they're expecting a boy or a girl, and Richie said they're "going to
try and hold out" on finding out for as long as possible.
She said she discovered she was pregnant after taking five home-pregnancy tests.
"I didn't believe it," she said. "It was my best friend and I, and we were at her house. And she was like, 'You're definitely
pregnant.' I actually didn't even really believe it until I heard the heartbeat."
Madden recalled breaking the news to Lionel Richie, the baby's soon-to-be grandfather.
"He was really quiet," he said, adding that the Grammy winner at first thought the call was to inform him Richie had
gotten into trouble. Finally, the elder Richie composed himself and told the couple, "Now you're going to get to
experience everything I have!"
Nicole Richie and Madden have begun keeping a video diary of the pregnancy, which they hope to one day share with
their offspring. However, the twosome is more than aware that there will be a four-day gap in the recording due to her
jail term.
"She's doing what she has to do. She's paying her debt," Madden said.
Richie said she's "afraid of the unknown" but "not really afraid of jail."
As for criticism that's cropped up about the sentence possibly not being harsh enough punishment for the severity of
her crime, Richie simply said, "That's not really up to me."
The remainder of the interview airs Friday on Good Morning America and 20/20.
Meanwhile, speaking to Us Weekly, Lionel Richie said he was happy that his daughter was taking responsibility for her
actions.
“She has not blamed others for her problems and is growing up very quickly,“ he tells the magazine. “My father taught
me to stand straight and take whatever punishment or hardships were the result of my actions and I am proud that I was
able to hand that philosophy down to my daughter.”
He says that "her pregnancy has given her a new perspective on life" and "in spite of what has happened, I continue to
love her and cherish our relationship.”
attorney requested she serve out her four-day sentence at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, the
same jail where pal Hilton served the majority of her probation-violation sentence earlier this summer.
"Her attorney has indicated to us that she wants to come to the L.A. County Jail, but that is all we know," he told E! News.
No surrender date for Richie has been given, though the former Simple Life star has until Sept. 28 to complete her stint
behind bars.
When she was sentenced last week, Superior Court Commissioner Steven K. Lubell gave Richie the choice of serving
her time in either city or county jail.
Prosecutors noted that if Richie opted for a cushier city jail, she'd have to do the full four days. But if she chose a county
facility, she would likely serve only a portion of her time, perhaps as little as a few hours because of overcrowding.
Word of her jail preference came hours after the first part of her much hyped sit-down with Diane Sawyer aired, in which
the expectant Richie appeared not only apologetic over her ill-fated driving-under-the-influence excursion last
December but credited it for turning her life around.
"I literally thought I was okay to drive, and clearly wasn't," the 25-year-old said on Good Morning America. "It was bad
decision after bad decision after bad decision. It's been a pattern in my life. When I get into trouble, I try to get out of it...
ever since I was little."
Hence her original not-guilty plea to the DUI charge, something she ultimately changed to guilty after reassessing her
responsibilities and watching a particularly disturbing report on the news about children who had been killed by drunk
drivers.
"At that moment, I literally felt like the worst person in the world for even trying to get out of the situation.
"I really wasn't learning anything from that," she said of her penchant for getting out of trouble first, learning lessons
later. She added that her behavior pattern had simply led to her to make "mistake after mistake after mistake."
Of her exploits over the last year, Richie, who was accompanied during the interview by rocker beau Joel Madden, said
she simply "wasn't growing, I wasn't going anywhere, and I saw myself going down that road again with this particular
situation."
While in the past, Richie has openly admitted to taking drugs and, in 2003, attended court-ordered rehab after cops
found her with a balloon of heroin, she told Sawyer that on Dec. 11, she had smoked marijuana and taken a Vicodin, for
which she didn't have a prescription, to treat menstrual cramps—though had done nothing else.
"Just marijuana," she said. "I had Vicodin in my system from that day. I never in my head thought that could play a part in
your driving. Like, never did I think that."
Richie also explained how exactly she found herself heading the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway, before simply
parking in the HOV lane.
"I got confused," she said of her orientation. "It was a new neighborhood for me...I just stopped."
Of how she felt when the police arrived, Richie said, "Scared would be the core word."
For his part, Madden, who lives the sort of rock lifestyle that involves studying the Bible, said Richie's bust was a make-
or-break situation for the couple.
"This is a great time to walk away," he says he remembered thinking at the time, adding that he had already come up
with an exit strategy. "Nicole, it's been great, but you just freaked me out."
Madden, however, opted to "go with my gut, and you know, my gut with Nicole has always been she's a great woman."
As for whether a repeat of the situation may occur down the line, both responded in the negative.
"There would no question, 'cause I don't have time for that," Madden said. "I bet on her. And I won."
As for Richie, four months along in her pregnancy, she said there is "absolutely no way" she would fall. When pressed
by Sawyer as to how she could be so sure she'd stick to the straight and narrow, she admitted it was "because I never
took it seriously before."
"I owe this baby my life. I owe this baby everything, and I have a responsibility now for someone else. I have to set the
right examples. I want to be the best parent I can be. I would really want to be someone my child would look up to."
As for the child, the couple does not yet know whether they're expecting a boy or a girl, and Richie said they're "going to
try and hold out" on finding out for as long as possible.
She said she discovered she was pregnant after taking five home-pregnancy tests.
"I didn't believe it," she said. "It was my best friend and I, and we were at her house. And she was like, 'You're definitely
pregnant.' I actually didn't even really believe it until I heard the heartbeat."
Madden recalled breaking the news to Lionel Richie, the baby's soon-to-be grandfather.
"He was really quiet," he said, adding that the Grammy winner at first thought the call was to inform him Richie had
gotten into trouble. Finally, the elder Richie composed himself and told the couple, "Now you're going to get to
experience everything I have!"
Nicole Richie and Madden have begun keeping a video diary of the pregnancy, which they hope to one day share with
their offspring. However, the twosome is more than aware that there will be a four-day gap in the recording due to her
jail term.
"She's doing what she has to do. She's paying her debt," Madden said.
Richie said she's "afraid of the unknown" but "not really afraid of jail."
As for criticism that's cropped up about the sentence possibly not being harsh enough punishment for the severity of
her crime, Richie simply said, "That's not really up to me."
The remainder of the interview airs Friday on Good Morning America and 20/20.
Meanwhile, speaking to Us Weekly, Lionel Richie said he was happy that his daughter was taking responsibility for her
actions.
“She has not blamed others for her problems and is growing up very quickly,“ he tells the magazine. “My father taught
me to stand straight and take whatever punishment or hardships were the result of my actions and I am proud that I was
able to hand that philosophy down to my daughter.”
He says that "her pregnancy has given her a new perspective on life" and "in spite of what has happened, I continue to
love her and cherish our relationship.”
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