Hilary Duff has confirmed that her new song, “We Don’t Talk,” is a deeply personal reflection on her estrangement from her older sister, Haylie Duff. In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Duff described the fractured relationship as “absolutely the most lonely part of my existence.” This marks the first time she has publicly addressed the situation in over a decade.
The song, featured on Duff’s newly released album , luck…or something, explores the pain of a familial disconnect. “It’s definitely about my sister,” Duff stated, visibly emotional during the interview. “And just absolutely the most lonely part of my existence is not having my sister in my life at the moment.”
Duff admitted to struggling with the decision to include such a personal track on the album. “I really struggled with thinking about including that on the record,” she explained. “But it’s funny, as a person that exists in the world without my other half, so many people are having that experience, and a lot of conversations I have with people are like ‘Yeah me too, me too, me too’.” This acknowledgement of shared experience ultimately led her to embrace the vulnerability of sharing her truth.
The sisters, who co-starred in the 2006 film Material Girls, haven’t been photographed together since , and their public interactions have noticeably diminished in recent years. Speculation about a rift intensified earlier this year when Haylie Duff liked a post by Ashley Tisdale detailing a difficult experience with a “toxic mom group” – a group Hilary Duff was reportedly involved in. Haylie and Tisdale were subsequently seen together, further fueling rumors of a falling out.
Despite the public scrutiny and speculation, Duff emphasized that her intention in releasing the song wasn’t to initiate a reconciliation. “I don’t think that would help,” she said. “I think I have to just exist as a person on my own and do what I want to do.” She acknowledged the complicated nature of having her life so publicly documented since childhood. “It’s hard because I am me and people know everything about my life since I was a child, and I didn’t necessarily choose that part, but it’s my reality, and so it was honestly, like, healing to say.”
Duff also spoke about the challenges of navigating public perception and the constant stream of commentary surrounding her personal life. “It’s hard to watch your life unfold on the internet sometimes with talking heads on TikTok speculating this, that, and the other,” she said. She noted the difficulty in discerning fact from fiction, admitting that “sometimes the rumors were wrong, and sometimes they were right, but it was still a crazy thing to process.”
The decision to address the estrangement through her music, Duff explained, was about claiming ownership of her narrative. “I don’t know if she’ll hear it. I don’t know how she’ll react to it. But 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.” This sentiment underscores a broader theme within luck…or something – a willingness to be authentic and vulnerable in her artistry.
Duff’s return to pop music with this album, her first full-length release since ‘s Breathe In. Breathe Out., is being viewed as a significant moment in her career. The album’s exploration of personal themes, including family dynamics and the complexities of modern life, resonates with a wider audience grappling with similar experiences. “We Don’t Talk,” in particular, has struck a chord with listeners, prompting conversations about the often-unspoken pain of fractured family relationships.
While the future of the relationship between Hilary and Haylie Duff remains uncertain, Duff’s willingness to publicly acknowledge the pain of their estrangement marks a significant step in her own journey of healing and self-expression. The song serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of family bonds, and the profound loneliness that can accompany their loss.
