Joel Madden and Benji Madden are brothers. They are also identical twins. Joel and Benji do practically everything together. They are both members of a band by the name of Good Charlotte. They've performed on stages all over the world. The twins both write and record music.
One thing that makes the twins stand out is their full-body tattoos. The two brothers are known for their bad-boy rocker images. However, you may be surprised to know that both Joel and Benji have settled down and are very content with married life.
Benji Madden is married to actress, Cameron Diaz. The happy couple got married in 2015. They also recently welcomed their first child. The baby girl is named Raddix and she was born early in 2020, on January 3.
As we are about to find out, Joel played a part in how Cameron and Benji came to meet. Much of what is known about Joel is to do with his twin brother or their band, but here are a few lesser-known facts about Joel Madden.
15 The Madden Twins Have Two Other Siblings
Joel and Benji have two other siblings. They have an older brother named Josh Madden and a younger sister, Sarah Madden. Joel’s dad walked out on the family when the twins were teenagers. The four siblings decided to drop his name and adopt their mother’s maiden name - hence the name, Madden.
14 Joel Is A Shy Introvert
Contrary to what most people think, Joel is a shy introvert who likes to mind his own business. Benji was more of a bad boy. Unlike his brother, Joel has only had two high-profile relationships. Although his body is covered in tattoos, Joel is a guy who enjoys reading the Bible.
13 He Is Often Misjudged Due To His Tattoos
Joel says that people are sometimes scared of him because of his tattoos. He once went to the ATM and a lady backed away from him. Joel tries not to care about what people think of him. The only two people’s opinions that matter to him are his mother’s and his wife’s. He does not need to prove himself to the rest of the world.
12 Joel Is The Lead Vocalist Of Good Charlotte
Joel and his brother formed Good Charlotte when they were in high school. The other members of the band are people they went to high school with - Paul Thomas, Aaron Escolopio, and Billy Martin. The name of the band was copied from the book, Good Charlotte: Girls of the Good Day Orphanage.
11 He Is An Actor
Other than being a musician, Joel is also a DJ, an actor, and a record producer. He and his band made a cameo appearance in the film, Not Another Teen Movie. He and his brother have also appeared in Fat Albert and Material Girls. Joel also performed with another band in the musical comedy series, The Naked Brothers Band.
10 Joel Is Married To Nicole Richie
Joel and Nicole Richie started dating in 2006. The got married in 2010. By then, they already had two children. Despite having kids with Joel, Nicole was reluctant about getting married. Joel jokes that he formed a habit of asking Nicole to marry him every Tuesday until she finally said yes.
9 The Couple Has Two Kids
Joel and Nicole’s first daughter, Harlow Madden, was born in 2008. Their second-born, a boy, came into the world in 2009. Joel and Nicole’s parents are divorced, so they both know how difficult it is for kids to grow up in 'broken' homes. The couple has vowed to make their marriage work - if not for themselves, for the sake of their kids.
8 Joel And Nicole Introduced Benji To Cameron
Cameron and Nicole were friends before they met (and married) the Madden twins. Nicole met Joel first and then arranged for Cameron to meet Benji. When Cameron decided to throw a party in 2014, Nicole and Joel invited Benji to the party. Benji and Cameron had met prior to the barbeque, but they became interested in one another at Cameron’s party.
7 Joel Once Had A Clothing Line
Joel once had a clothing line that went by the name, MADE Clothing. He did not own the fashion line alone; he shared it with both his brothers and a friend. The name of the clothing line was later changed to DCMA Collective. The business partners decided to close their clothing stores in 2008.
6 Joel Dated Hilary Duff
Joel dated Hilary Duff between 2004 and 2006. Other than the fact that the two were popular, the relationship also attracted media attention because of the couple’s six-year age difference. Madden was 25 years old and Hilary was still a teenager, at age 16. The couple broke up in November of 2006. Joel started dating Nicole in December 2006.
5 He Wrote Some Of Hillary Duff’s Songs And Has Helped Other Musicians
Hilary Duff started out as a Disney star. She is known for playing Lizzie McGuire in the hit TV series with the same name. Hilary is both a singer and an actress. Since Joel was on a similar career path, he and his brother helped write lyrics for some of Hilary’s songs, especially songs in her 2005 Most Wanted compilation album.
4 The Madden Twins Have Dated Best Friends Before
Cameron and Nicole are not just sister-in-laws, they are also best friends. Cameron used to hang out with Joel and Nicole before they introduced her to Benji. Before Benji settled with Cameron, he dated Paris Hilton. Paris and Nicole were once inseparable; they even did a show together. Paris and Benji dated around the same time that Nicole and Joel met.
3 Joel Was A Coach In The Voice Australia
Joel and Benji have both been mentor judges and coaches on the singing competition, The Voice Australia. Joel appeared in four seasons while Benji only joined during season 4. Since Joel was part of the show for so long, he had to move to Sydney for a while. Joel still maintains his residence in Sydney.
2 He Is A Unicef Ambassador
Joel is involved with a number of charities. For starters, he is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He and his wife also have a charity organization that goes by the name, The Richie-Madden Children's Foundation. Joel and his brother also contributed to the making of the song, We Are The World 25 for Haiti.
1 Joel Is Trying To Break His Addiction To Smoking
When Joel and Benji got back from Australia, they decided to quit smoking. This was not the first time Joel attempted to quit. When he and Nicole were preparing for parenthood, he thought of giving up smoking. Joel has discovered a new tactic that helps him reduce the number of cigarettes he smokes in a day; he chews on toothpicks.
Sources: Bustle.com, Eonline.com, Dailymail.co.uk