JOEL & NICOLE: How We Make It Work

THE ROCKER AND THE FORMER REALITY STAR ARE DETERMINED NOT TO REPEAT THEIR PARENTS' MARITAL MISTAKES.

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THIRTEEN years into their marriage, Joel Madden is still gaga over his wife, Nicole Richie. “I feel lucky,” the 44-year-old gushed in a recent interview. Calling his spouse “beautiful” and his “queen,” the Good Charlotte singer told talk-show host Tamron Hall that Nicole, 42, “is the greatest partner.”

It’s taken more than luck to keep their relationship solid. “They communicate well and have been proactive about keeping their marriage healthy,” an insider tells Star. “They have checkins where they both bring up their grievances, no matter how small, so they can face them head-on.”

Both children of divorce, they made a conscious decision before becoming parents to daughter Harlow, 15, and 14-year-old son Sparrow that they wouldn’t put their kids through what they experienced.