Sure, Nicole Richie's rickety arms don't seem strong enough to hoist a box of Huggies or balance a bridal bouquet, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning with chatter of a stork delivery and an aisle-walk in her future.
First up is the baby burbling, which grew louder on Saturday night when the diaphanous, rehab- and eating disorder-denying starlet attempted to avoid shutterbugs by covering her face with a bag of takeout (yes, she was in proximity to food), a move that pulled her roomy brown minidress taut and highlighted some head-scratching swelling around her usually concave belly.
So, is it a bundle of joy, bloat from eating a Lifesaver or the most elaborate "Simple Life" publicity stunt ever?
According to the New York Post, a "good pal" of Richie's says she's "definitely" incubating the spawn of Good Charlotte front man Joel Madden, 28, her boyfriend of less than a year.
The ostensible friend also claims Nicole, who was popped for DUI in December, has her fingers crossed that her supposedly delicate condition will help her escape the same pokey-filled fate as sometime BFF Paris Hilton. "Nicole is kind of hoping her pregnancy will keep her out of jail," the chatty confidante alleges to the paper, which adds that other friends are worried and "wondering if she can carry the baby to term because of her weight issues."
http://entertainment.msn.com/tv/hotgossip/6-18-07?GT1=7703