In this weeks’ edition of The Stars: They’re Just Like Us, Nicole Richie celebrated her 40th birthday in the hottest way possible. No, really, she lived a real-life nightmare during her birthday celebration, when she leaned over to blow out her candles, and apparently wished for some heat in her life, because… girl lit her hair on fire.
In a video posted to Instagram, Richie, appearing to be surrounded by family and friends, leans over a cake decorated with a photo of her as a young girl — because face cake is the best kind of cake other than Costco kind — and her waves found their way to the flame. But of course, it wasn’t just a tiny flame — after a partygoer extinguished the fire on her left side, the one on the right side lit up, even slightly burning her top. Richie leaps back, doing that shocked-laugh-scream you do when… you know, you’re on fire, while her friends try to pat it out. Well, one of them does, the friend on the right side actually fans the flare, seemingly the cause of the second burst. Don’t fan flames, y’all. Just don’t do it!
Richie’s hairstylist Gregory Russell commented, “STOP!!! AGAIN?!?!” on the post, making it clear that this is not the first time her hair has caught on fire, which feels like the most On Brand Nicole Richie thing to ever happen. She’s a comedic genius — yes, this is a hill I will die on — and I will not stand for her being taken down by a mere flame. But luckily, Richie is fine.
What’s worse is, she didn’t even blow out all of her candles before she was so cruelly attacked by this cruel flame. The main question is: …how bad did the air smell afterwards? Burning hair is not the home fragrance of Nicole Richie’s dreams.
