Nicole Richie 'terrified of prison'

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Nicole Richie has confided to her best-pal-again Paris Hilton that she is terrified that the Dec. 11 DUI charges against her will land her in jail, according to Life & Style Weekly.

The Simple Life stars - who recently made up after a year of not speaking to each other - met at Los Angeles' Mr Chow restaurant and Paris was seen comforting her distraught pal.

A source told Life and Style Weekly magazine: "She was really freaking out. Paris kept telling Nicole not to worry, that everything was going to be fine." Richie is apparently especially worried because she has a 2002 DUI under her belt.

The adopted daughter of singer Lionel Richie was charged with DUI after police arrested her in the early hours of December 11 for driving the wrong way along a California freeway.

If convicted, Nicole would also have her driving license suspended for one year and be ordered to attend an alcohol education programme for a year-and-a-half, even if the second conviction is not alcohol-related.

One unkind observer quipped to The Scoop: "Maybe she's worried that prison stripes will make her look fat."