Richie says, "Sometimes people just get exploited. I can only hope that doesn't happen to me."

Meanwhile, as Paris Hilton heads off to jail this week, Nicole Richie is still driving with a valid drivers license -- even though she has the same DUI charge under her belt and a record as a repeat offender reports TMZ

Paris was busted September 7, 2006 -- and was later arrested for violating her probation for driving on the suspended license. Richie was busted for DUI on December 11, 2006 -- and almost 6 months later, she is still driving.

TMZ spoke with Deputy District Attorney Ed Greene, a prosecutor assigned to Nicole's DUI case, who admitted, "I am a little surprised too."

In other news, Nicole Richie has denied rumors that she's has checked in to a rehabilitation clinic.

Star magazine reports that Richie has checked into the Beaumonde treatment center in Los Angeles.

Richie said, "I hadn't been photographed in a few weeks... It's really pathetic. Because I wasn't photographed, people were wondering where I was and then there was a story that I was in rehab. The truth was I was on tour with Joel and I was in random city after random city."

Richie added, "I actually thought it was really funny how people were talking about it... Do I have a responsibility to get photographed every single day or else people wonder where I am? That's ridiculous."