Nicole Richie Defends Paris Hilton Feud  5/11/06

Nicole Richie has finally explained the reason behind her mysterious feud with her The Simple Life co-star Paris Hilton.

The socialites had a much-publicized fall-out in January 2005 and have famously refused to divulge the reason behind their rift.

But Richie now insists she steered clear of her former pal after a stint in rehab made her reassess her priorities.

She tells Vanity Fair, "When I got out of rehab, I had to figure out what path to go down, and part of that included taking certain people out of my life.

"I just decided I didn't want to be her (Hilton's) friend anymore. We're just two completely different people; we don't have that much in common."