Hilary Duff Tears Up Admitting Rift With Sister Is the ‘Most Lonely Part of My Existence’
After years of speculation, Hilary Duff has finally opened up about her relationship with her sister, Haylie Duff. The sisters were close in their adolescence, but they haven’t been photographed together since 2019. Many wondered if a song on Hilary’s latest album is about Haylie. She confirmed that it is, noting that the distance between them has been painful.
Hilary Duff and her sister were rumored to be at odds
The last time that Hilary and Haylie were in a picture together was 2019. Since then, many have speculated that the sisters are at odds, though the reason for the rift is unclear.
In 2026, Ashley Tisdale wrote an essay about toxic mom drama, which many believe is about her friend group with Hilary. Haylie liked the post and later spent time with Tisdale. This has only added fuel to the speculation.
Hilary Duff opened up about her relationship with her sister
The song “We Don’t Talk” on Hilary’s latest album Luck…or Something immediately sparked speculation that it was about Haylie. She recently confirmed that this was true.
“It’s definitely about my sister,” she told CBS Mornings, tearing up. “And just absolutely the most lonely part of my existence is not having my sister in my life at the moment.”
She admitted that she has no idea how Haylie will respond to the song.
“I don’t know if she’ll hear it,” she said. “I don’t know how she’ll react to it. You know, it is a really personal part of my life that doesn’t get to stay personal. So I might as well say how it is for me, and that’s all I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to say anything bad. It’s literally just my experience — and that’s really all I feel like sharing.”
She admitted she “really struggled” with whether or not to include the song on the album. Ultimately, though, she has found that many people relate to it.
“As a person that exists in the world without my, like, other half, so many people are having that experience,” she said. “A lot of conversations I have with people are, like, ‘Yeah, me too.’”
She sings about her family on her latest album
Hilary admitted that she has distant relationships with other members of her family.
“That’s my family. Those are the people that affect you the most, take up the most space naturally as a human who’s born into something,” she told Glamour. “Just because you’re born into a family doesn’t mean that it always stays together. You can only control your side and your street….”
On her song “The Optimist,” she sings about her father in the chorus.
“I wish I could sleep on planes / And that my father would really love me / He’d show up on my wedding day / And tell my family they’re all so lucky / He’d tell me how he wish he’d stayed / And that he never meant to disappoint me / But ’til then I’ll exist as the optimist.”
She believes that her success from an early age led to the breakdown of their relationship.
“I think it’s really challenging for one person to have major success in a family,” she said. “In ‘The Optimist,’ that’s what it feels like for me. And I’m sure it has to feel like that for him. Although I’m the kid. And it’s been hard to get back to a place of health.”
Hilary released her latest album on Feb. 20.
