Hey now, Hilary Duff and ex Joel Madden’s post-split friendship is precisely what dreams are made of.
Duff, 38, brought her Lucky Me Tour to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, August 5, where she enlisted Madden’s Good Charlotte for a special duet.
In addition to Duff’s setlist of Luck… or Something tracks and throwback hits, the pop star rocked out with Joel, 47, and brother Benji Madden for a rendition of 2002’s “The Anthem,” per social media footage.
Later during the show, per In Style clips, Duff changed into a vintage Good Charlotte T-shirt to perform “Why Not.”
“FAMILY NIGHT @ MSG. CONGRATS @hilaryduff,” Benji, 47, wrote via his Instagram Stories following the concert, sharing a backstage selfie with his brother, Duff and her husband, Matthew Koma. Joel’s wife, Nicole Richie, was also present for the nostalgia-induced evening.
Long before Duff and Madden found love with Koma, 39, and Richie, 44, respectively, they dated from 2004 to 2006. The now-exes have since remained on friendly terms.
“I have a good relationship with their whole family. We actually hang out all the time,” the Younger alum recalled on a 2023 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. “I was just in [Nicole’s] driveway, honking for her to come drink wine with us the other day. … Now, we get them to hike together all the time. And you know what? It’s lovely.”
Joel, for his part, had also been candid about staying cordial with Duff long before their MSG duet.
“Every girl I’ve ever dated I have respect for, and I always try to leave them [on] good terms,” Joel told People in 2007. “I don’t see the necessity to be friends with anyone you’ve dated but definitely out of respect of the time, you have to be kind of respectful and that’s what I try to do.”
According to the rocker, he was never one to publicly address the breakup.
“I kind of ignored it and tried to just continue to live my life,” he said at the time. “People can say or think whatever they want, so in my reality, it’s kind of irrelevant. I’m always the kind of person that does the right thing and keeps my side of the street clean.”
Joel married Richie in 2010 before they welcomed two children. As for Duff, she shares son Luca, 14, with ex-husband Mike Comrie and three daughters with Koma.
Duff, who kicked off her Lucky Me Tour in June, returns to MSG for a second show on Thursday, August 6.
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