Are Nicole Richie & Joel Madden Headed For A Split? Source Claims They’re On The ‘Brink Of Divorce’

Could Nicole Richie and Joel Madden be ready to call it quits? According to a new report, the couple is “on the brink of divorce.”

“[Nicole Richie] and Joel are at odds over everything,” an insider revealed to In Touch Weekly, via an April 15 report by Radar Online.

“They’ve been spending more time apart because all they do is fight when they’re together. [Nicole Richie] can be very forceful when she doesn’t get her way, and Joel doesn’t respond well to that.”

According to Radar Online, Nicole Richie and her husband haven’t been seen together publicly since March 12, when they celebrated Madden’s birthday with his twin brother, Benji, and his wife, Cameron Diaz. At that time, the two couples were photographed having dinner in Los Angeles.

Two days prior to Nicole Richie’s outing with the Madden brothers and Diaz, the reality star turned designer was spotted hunting for a new home — without her husband and without her wedding ring.

Nicole Richie, 33, married Madden, 36, on December 11, 2010, and the pair share two children, daughter Harlow, 7, and son Sparrow, 5. Nicole Richie and Madden began dating in 2006, and announced their engagement in February of 2010.

Prior to Nicole Richie, Madden dated singer and actress Hilary Duff for a year-and-a-half. Richie’s prior hookups include DJ Adam Goldstein and Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Brody Jenner.

The In Touch Weekly insider continued, claiming Nicole Richie and Madden’s relationship would have been long over if it wasn’t for their children,

“If it wasn’t for the kids, they’d be divorced already. [Nicole Richie]’s trying to hang on for their sake, but she’s at her breaking point.”

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Nicole Richie opened up about marriage in an interview last summer. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey, via E! News, Richie revealed she and Madden make a conscious effort to stay together for their children’s sake.

“We met and we were partners from day one. And from the second we found out we were going to parents together, we looked at each other and we said, ‘Okay, both of our parents are divorced. We both have had ups and downs with our parents and we don’t really have a strong example of what a healthy family life is. But, we’re recognizing that now, so let’s work at it and let’s go through this together as a team.’ It’s been great, and I would say that’s the easiest and hardest part.”

Nicole Richie began starring in her own reality show, Candidly Nicole, on VH1 last year.

[Photo via Instagram]