Categories: Celebs

Nicole Richie’s Hair Catches Fire While Blowing Out Birthday Candles

One highly observed birthday tradition almost brought an unwelcome energy to Nicole Richie’s celebration! The longtime actress recently brought in her 40th birthday and decided to step out for a good time. However, Nicole’s fun time almost took a sharp left when her hair caught fire while blowing out her birthday candles.

And we’re not talking a few strands of hair. In fact, the ends of Nicole’s hair on both sides of her face went up in flames. So, here’s what happened: Nicole decided to keep the birthday dinner hairstyle simple and straight to the point. She rocked her usual curly look, parted down the middle and flowing freely. She was presented with a white, square birthday cake featuring what looks like a childhood photo. The writing on the cake spelled out “Happy Birthday Nicole.”

So, when she leaned over the nostalgic cake to blow out ten lit candles, that loose, wavy hair joined right in. The sound of cheers was almost immediately replaced by panicked screams and gasps. Next thing viewers see is Nicole’s hair going up in flames as she screams and taps and pulls at her off-the-shoulder black top. Then, the video cuts out.

It’s unclear how the fire was put out. However, the flames were seemingly tamed right on time and no injuries were shared. Nicoleactually posted the video to her Instagram account and captioned it “Well…so far 40 is” and added a fire emoji.

Even her husband Joel Madden poked fun at the fiery situation in Nicole’s comment section. “That’s hot,” he wrote. For all the pop culture lovers, it seems like Joel was referencing Nicole and Paris Hilton’s famed saying from the early 2000s.

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Cassandra Santiago

Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media. She joined The Shade Room five years ago and currently serves as a Senior Editor, where she leads editorial direction, oversees exclusive coverage, and trains and edits a team of writers. Cassandra has played a key role in developing high-impact content and editorial strategies for an audience of more than 30 million, contributing to platform growth, engagement, and monetization across multiple channels. In addition to her leadership role, she remains a daily contributor, with her articles generating more than 41 million views since 2023. Beyond The Shade Room, Cassandra offers freelance social media strategy services, speaks on the influence and impact of Black media at public panels, and owns Did It For You, an event design company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She is Poynter Institute–certified and was named to the DMV’s 35 Under 35 list in 2024.

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