Nicole Richie reacts to sister-in-law Cameron Diaz also naming her child after a bird

It seems that Nicole Richie and Cameron Diaz have more than just being sisters-in-law in common.

On 22 March, the Charlie’s Angels actor and her musician husband, Benji Madden, announced they welcomed their second child: a baby boy named Cardinal. The couple, who have been married since 2015, are also parents to four-year-old daughter Raddix.

“We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our son, Cardinal Madden,” the pair wrote in a joint statement shared to Instagram. “He is awesome and we are all so happy he is here! For the kid’s safety and privacy, we won’t be posting any pictures - but he’s a really cute. Sending much love from our fam to yours… Best wishes and Good Afternoon!!”

The post included a colourful drawing with the words: “A little bird whispered to me.”

It didn’t take long for many fans to point out that Benji’s brother and Good Charlotte band member, Joel Madden, also focused on a bird theme when naming his son. He shares 16-year-old daughter Harlow and 14-year-old son Sparrow with wife Nicole Richie.

“Sparrow is his twin brother’s child with Nicole Richie. Cardinal has an older sister named Raddix,” one Instagram user commented under Benji and Cameron’s post.

“Cute for cousins,” another fan wrote.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the Simple Life reality star gave her candid reaction to the cousins’ bird-themed names. “I think it’s just a twin thing,” Nicole said, noting that her husband Joel and Cameron’s husband Benji are identical twin brothers. “Who knows?”

Meanwhile, Joel confirmed to the outlet that Cardinal’s name came as a “surprise” to him. “We’re all very happy though,” he added, as Richie shared that her in-laws are doing “amazing” following the new addition.

The fashion designer, 42, and The Holiday star, 51, have often shared sweet sister-in-law moments over the years. Back in October, Cameron and Nicole showed up in support of their husbands at their Good Charlotte concert in Los Angeles. The duo visited a nightclub in West Hollywood, where they were also joined by Nicole’s 25-year-old sister, Sofia Richie Grainge.

Cameron and Nicole became sisters-in-law back in 2015, when the Bad Teacher star tied the knot with Benji after one year of dating. At the time, Nicole had already been married to Joel for five years.

During a 2021 appearance on the Anna Faris Is Unqualified podcast, Cameron discussed how her future brother-in-law and sister-in-law even introduced her to her soon-to-be husband. “I met [Benji] through my now sister-in-law and brother-in-law. I met them first and then they didn’t set us up but we were in the same room because of them, and then we found each other,” Cameron recalled.

The What Happens in Vegas actor explained how she thought, “How come I didn’t see him before?” as her friend Katherine Power noted: “Which is funny, because you saw his twin brother.”

Despite already being introduced to Joel, Cameron maintained it wasn’t “the same” when she met her future husband. “It wasn’t the same. They’re not the same, they’re so different,” she said. “Even though they are twins, they are very, very different, obviously.”

Cameron went on to recall how she saw Benji walking towards her and thought: “Huh, he’s hot. I haven’t seen him before.”

“But then when I saw him, like who he was, that’s what made me really be like: ‘Oh, you. You, you’re special, you’re the guy, you’re the hidden gem in my life,’” she added.