Hilary Duff opens up about estrangement from sister Haylie in new song “We Don’t Talk”

Hilary Duff is getting real about family tension. During a CBS Mornings interview on Friday, February 20, the pop star and actress revealed that her new song “We Don’t Talk,” from her upcoming album luck…or something, reflects a personal rift with her sister, Haylie Duff.

“It’s definitely about my sister and just absolutely the most lonely part of my existence. It’s not having my sister in my life at the moment, and I really struggled with thinking about including that on the record,” Hilary, 38, told host Anthony Mason.

The “Weather for Tennis” singer explained that she’s seen many people live without their “other half,” and for her, including the song on the album was about honesty.

“So many people are having this experience [of estrangement], and for me, making a record was just going to be all about connection. I was never going to take outside songs from people…what would the point be, right, if it wasn’t me and it wasn’t my life?” she said, visibly emotional.

Hilary also reflected on growing up in the public eye, first starring in Lizzie McGuire and later in shows like Younger. “I didn’t necessarily choose that part, but it’s my reality, and so it was honestly like healing to say,” the “Roommates” performer said. She admitted the scrutiny can be tough:

“It’s hard to watch your life unfold on the internet sometimes with talking heads on TikTok speculating this, that, and the other. Sometimes they’re wrong and sometimes they’re right.”

When asked whether she hoped Haylie, 41, would hear the track, Hilary was candid:

“I don’t think that that would help. I think I have to just exist as a person on my own and do what I want to do. I hope that for everyone that is where I’m sitting, you have to do what you want to do and you have to do what feels good for you. It’s taken me a lot of time to get there and to live that way and to not care what the noise is going to be around it and just be me.”

She added, “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 as an experience. That’s all I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to say anything bad. It’s literally just my experience, and that’s really all I feel like sharing.”

Hilary also touched on family dynamics in a Glamour cover story published February 17, noting that complicated relationships with her sister and father, Robert, influenced the album.

“That’s my family. Those are the people that affect you the most, take up the most space naturally as a human who’s born into something. 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. I’ve had a very complicated life, and my parents had a very complicated thing. I know it’s not rare, and I think it goes back to the theme of, Why share now? I guess I just felt ready.”

Fans first got a hint of the personal nature of the song last month when Hilary debuted “We Don’t Talk” at her Small Rooms, Big Nerves concerts.

Lyrics such as, “I’m not sure when it happened / Not even sure what it was about,” also reference coming from “the same home, the same blood,” fueling speculation about her relationship with Haylie.