Exclusive Excerpt: Haute Hilary
Ms. Duff dishes about Yohji Yamamoto, Kahlil Gibran, her parents’ divorce and coming of age in Hollywood.
By Zenya Sirant
In a subculture where DUIs, up-skirt exhibitionism and revolving stints in rehab are the norm, Hilary Duff is a rebel. She may have shed her squeaky clean Disney alter ego, Lizzie McGuire, but Duff isn’t about to follow the cliché of child star gone Hollywood bad — though not for lack of opportunity or incentive.
She acknowledges that the past couple of years have been rough. Her weight has been intensely scrutinized by the tabloids (she credits Pilates for leaning out her former gymnast’s body), and she broke up with her boyfriend of two and a half years, rocker Joel Madden — no, Nicole Richie had nothing to do with it. But the worst was the painful dissolution of her parents’ marriage. “It definitely hardens you a bit,” she says, still visibly uncomfortable with the topic. “Most people go through that when they’re younger, so it was a shock. I was like, This can happen now? You just realize that your parents are human, like you.”
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger—or at least provides great material to write with, which is what Duff did for her third studio album, Dignity. “This was the first time I sat down and wrote everything that I felt, when I felt it.” She was a green 15 the first time she penned a song and had never taken on a whole album. “It was a trust issue before. I was like, ‘This sucks. No one’s going to like this. No one’s going to relate to it.’ But this time around, I just went for it.” And the critics approve: “For the first time actually, I’ve gotten good reviews.” At press time, her song “With Love” has topped Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, and the album has hit the top five in the U.S. and Canada.
Read the full article in our September issue, on newsstands August 20.
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Al writes:
Hilary Duff is amazing!
—posted August 15, 2007 at 8:27 p.m.
Meagan writes:
I love Hilary Duff! I think she is a great role model. I hope she stays that way. :) I would love to meet her in person one day - she seems so down to earth.
—posted August 16, 2007 at 3:40 p.m.
Claudiafan writes:
I love you, Hilary....you're my inspiration.
I love this picture!
—posted August 16, 2007 at 3:43 p.m.
Sammie writes:
Hilary Duff is an amazing girl, and I hope she stays this way throughout her career and doesn't change into some of the other celebrities out there her age!
—posted August 17, 2007 at 5:35 p.m.
jason writes:
Hilary is timeless - she ages tastefully like a great bottle of wine. :)
—posted August 18, 2007 at 10:53 a.m.
Caty writes:
Hilary is an amazing role model for girls and women of any age. She truly shows how you can be in such a demanding industry and still have your feet planted on the ground.
—posted September 1, 2007 at 11:27 p.m.
Grace writes:
Hilary,
My 11-year-old daughter and I had the opportunity to attend your concert in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, on 9-11-07. Front row seats! You put on an amazing performance - my daughter was so ecstatic that she had the opportunity to see you in person and to shake your hand. You are an amazing person, and a GREAT role model for all these girls. Keep up the great work! May god bless!
—posted September 18, 2007 at 2:56 p.m.
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