He became the guitarist and backing vocalist for Good Charlotte after co-founding the band with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden, back in 1995. Prior to rising to fame, he and Joel started performing together while they were still students at La Plata High School in Maryland. He was born to Robin Madden and Roger Combs and grew up with an older brother named Josh and a younger sister named Sarah. In January 2015, he married actress Cameron Diaz, and the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Raddix, in December 2019. Then, in March 2024, they were blessed with the arrival of their son, Cardinal.
For roughly a year, he and Joel worked together to run a clothing line named MADE Clothing.