Engaged Nicole Richie Doing Way Better Than Paris Hilton

Last night, Nicole Richie shot an interview with David Letterman (set to air on Friday) in which she confirmed that she is engaged to rocker baby daddy, Joel Madden. She showed up to the Ed Sullivan Theater looking svelte in all black, trying not to tip over from the massive rock weighing down her left hand, and later joined Joel for a romantic post-Valentine’s Day dinner. Not bad for a former heroin junkie for was once best known for having sex with ugly actors in club bathrooms. Not bad at all.

It’s especially enjoyable to admire Nicole’s success (jewelry line, clothing line, kids, general acceptance amongst the popular people in LA and NYC) when compared to that of her former friend, Paris Hilton. While Nic was smiling sweetly for the cameras, Paris was busy promoting a Brazilian beer company by getting completely sh*tfaced in front of partying onlookers. The heiress stumbled around a Rio De Janeiro club, grinded on a podium, and humped the stage floor on her hands and knees, decked out in a see-through dress that showed off her thong.

Pics of the ex-pals, and their very different lives, below.

[Photo: SplashNewsOnline]