In a candid new interview, actress and singer Hilary Duff has provided a long-awaited update on her relationship with fellow former Disney star Lindsay Lohan, more than twenty years after their much-publicized feud began. Appearing on the latest episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Duff delved into the origins of their rivalry and the moment they finally reconciled.
The Premiere Crashes and Childhood Nemesis
Duff admitted that she intentionally crashed the premiere of Lindsay Lohan's 2003 film "Freaky Friday," attending as a guest of actor Chad Michael Murray. She described Lohan as a "childhood nemesis" and noted that she wasn't surprised when Lohan seemingly retaliated by showing up at the premiere of Duff's movie "Cheaper by the Dozen" later that same year. "I'm sure my publicist will be like: 'What the fuck are you doing?' But now it's so many years later," Duff quipped during the podcast, reflecting on the incident with humor.
Chad Michael Murray's Role
Duff speculated that Murray, who starred opposite Lohan in "Freaky Friday" and later appeared with Duff in "A Cinderella Story," might have been trying to stir the pot by inviting her. "I don't want to start any more stuff," she said. "But he was like, 'You should come with me.' And I was like, 'Mm-hm. Probably I should.'" This move added fuel to the fire of their ongoing media rivalry at the time.
The Reconciliation Moment
The turning point came during a chance encounter at a club, where Lohan approached Duff to clear the air. "Lindsay came up to me at a club once and was like, 'Are we good?' And I was like, 'We're good.' She was like, 'Let's take a shot.' I'm like, 'OK.' It was amazing," Duff recounted. This simple exchange marked the end of their feud, allowing both women to move forward on good terms.
Origins of the Feud
The rivalry between Duff and Lohan traces back to the early 2000s, when both were rising stars—Duff on Disney's "Lizzie McGuire" and Lohan on "The Parent Trap." Tensions escalated around 2002 after singer Aaron Carter ended his brief romance with Duff to begin dating Lohan. Carter later recalled, "I started dating Hilary on my 13th birthday. I was dating her for like a year and a half and then I just got a little bored so I went and I started getting to know Lindsay." Although Carter and Duff rekindled their relationship briefly, it ended by 2003, but the media feud between the two actresses persisted.
Media Exchanges and SNL Spoof
In 2004, Lohan appeared in a "Saturday Night Live" skit where Rachel Dratch played a caricature of Duff in "Lizzie McGuire" mode. Duff responded at the time, telling "Access Hollywood," "I wasn't honored. I'm not here to talk bad about her like she talks bad about me all the time. I just knew that it was going to happen." Despite the past animosity, Duff maintained a respectful stance, and she honored Carter with a sweet tribute on Instagram after his death in 2022, indicating she was on good terms with him.
Moving Forward
Now, with the feud behind her, Duff has much to celebrate. Last week, she unveiled "Luck... or Something," her first album in over a decade, and many dates on her forthcoming world tour are already sold out. This new chapter highlights her continued success in the entertainment industry, free from the shadows of past conflicts.
