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Hilary Duff says child stardom left ‘scars from the past’: ‘People don’t survive that’
Hilary Duff says her childhood fame left lasting emotional “scars” that she has had to confront while returning to music and performing live. The experience matters to her as an adult because, she said, becoming famous as a child is difficult to reckon with, even after a successful career.
Duff rose to fame at 14 in *Lizzie McGuire* and released *Luck … Or Something* in February, her first studio album since 2015; it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Before her first major tour in nearly two decades, she was nervous performing for friends and family, but her son Luca told her he was proud. Duff says making music on her own terms and reconnecting with fans, whom she thanks for “letting me grow up”, have helped her heal; strong demand added 32 tour dates through 2027.
In short
- Hilary Duff says child stardom left emotional scars.
- Her new album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
- She says adult choices and fan support have helped her heal.
Explained simply
Hilary Duff became widely known as a teenager, starring in the television series Lizzie McGuire from the age of 14. She went on to build a career in acting and music, with many people watching her grow up in public.
Child stardom can bring intense attention before someone has the experience or privacy of an adult. Duff has said that fame left emotional effects she is still working through, and that returning to music has given her a way to do so. Her story speaks to wider questions about how early fame can shape a person’s life long after childhood.