Haylie Duff and Hilary Duff’s sister bond unravels as singer finally addresses ‘complicated’ rift

Hilary Duff is finally speaking candidly about her fractured relationship with sister Haylie Duff, confirming years of speculation that the once-close siblings have grown apart.

The former Lizzie McGuire star, 38, addressed the situation while promoting her new music, more than six years after she was last publicly photographed with Haylie Duff in 2019.

For much of their careers, the Duff sisters projected a tight-knit bond. Hilary previously praised Haylie’s parenting when the food blogger welcomed her first daughter, Ryan, with fiancé Matt Rosenberg in 2015.

“She’s a really natural mom,” Hilary told E! News at the time, highlighting how closely involved the sisters once were in each other’s lives.

But Hilary’s latest album suggests a shift. On the track “We Don’t Talk”, the singer appears to reference the long-rumoured rift, describing what she calls an “emotional eviction”.

“That’s my family,” she said. “Those are the people that affect you the most, take up the most space naturally as a human who’s born into something.”

She added that family ties do not always remain intact.

“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.”

Hilary stopped short of revealing the exact cause of the fallout and suggested she may not fully understand it herself. Still, lyrics from “We Don’t Talk” hint at lingering hurt, with the singer admitting she does not know how her sister is doing despite their shared upbringing.

The distance between the siblings has been noted by fans for years. The two have not been publicly photographed together since 2019, fuelling ongoing speculation about their relationship status.

The situation drew fresh attention after Haylie was seen in January with Ashley Tisdale French, shortly after the Frenshe founder wrote an essay about leaving what she described as a “toxic” mom friend group, widely speculated online to include Hilary.

While Hilary has not publicly addressed that specific drama, her husband Matthew Koma appeared to weigh in on social media, posting a mock magazine cover criticising what he described as a self-obsessed parent.

Despite the family tension, Hilary says her goal with the new album is connection and honesty.

“I just felt really ready to share,” she told Rolling Stone, explaining she wanted to create music that reflects who she is now.

For now, the singer appears content to let her lyrics do the talking as questions about her relationship with Haylie Duff continue to swirl.