At a Glance
- Nicole Richie tagged her daughter’s Instagram as @katemaddennn while celebrating her 18th birthday
- The handle uses middle name “Kate” instead of first name “Harlow”
- Fans flooded the post asking if the teen now goes by Kate
- Why it matters: Celebrity kids choosing new names signals autonomy as they reach adulthood
Nicole Richie set Instagram alight on January 12 when she marked her daughter’s 18th birthday with a carousel of never-before-seen photos-and a handle that no one saw coming.
The 44-year-old actress posted shots spanning her daughter’s life, captioned simply: “18 years of you ♥️🎂 @katemaddennn.”
Joel Madden, Richie’s husband and the teen’s father, commented: “That’s my girl ❤️✨.”
The Name Switch
Followers instantly clocked that the tagged account, @katemaddennn, uses “Kate”-one of Harlow Winter Kate Madden’s middle names-rather than her famous first name.
Comments piled up:
- “Happy birthday!? Did she change her name?”
- “Wait does she not go by Harlow?”
- “Is her name Kate now??”
Neither Richie nor the teenager has publicly confirmed a formal name change; the Instagram handle alone fueled the speculation.
A Rare Glimpse
The birthday post offered one of the few recent looks at Harlow-who has largely grown up outside the spotlight-despite her parents’ fame.
Richie and Madden, who wed in 2010, also share 16-year-old son Sparrow. The family splits time between Los Angeles and Nashville.
Parenting in the Digital Age
In an October interview with News Of Losangeles, Richie reflected on raising teens in a social-media-saturated world:
“I very much remember… now that I’m seeing my kids at an age where I remember everything from that age… they’ll be telling me stories… and it sounds exactly like what I was going through senior year. It’s fun. It’s like a TV show.”
She emphasized choosing understanding over prohibition when it comes to platforms her kids use:
“The platforms are there… and that is how people that age communicate… I think I have been more inclined to… understand it on my own so that I know the world that they know.”
Richie underscored that digital literacy strengthens her bond with Harlow and Sparrow:
“The more I understand it and then talk to them about it… just say to them, ‘Anything that you put out there is going to be out there forever.’ By the way, they know it. They know it very well.”
Sister Snapshot
Last December, Sofia Richie-Nicole’s younger sister-posted a photo with Harlow Kate (using the middle name again) and labeled the shot “Harlow Kate,” reinforcing that family members already embrace the shorter moniker.
What’s Next
With Harlow officially 18, decisions about public identity-including any potential legal name change-rest with her. For now, the Instagram handle @katemaddennn stands as the clearest signal of how the newly-minted adult prefers to be known.
Key Takeaways
- Nicole Richie’s birthday shout-out quietly revealed her daughter’s preferred name
- The teen’s Instagram handle uses “Kate,” sparking fan theories
- Richie champions open dialogue about social media with her kids
- Harlow joins a growing list of celebrity children redefining their public identities
