Tearful Hilary Duff Says ‘Most Lonely Part of My Existence’ Is Not Having Sister Haylie in Her Life ‘at the Moment’

Hilary Duff is shedding light on the deeply personal inspiration behind her new song, “We Don’t Talk.”

During an appearance on CBS Mornings on Friday, Feb. 20, the singer and actress revealed that the track from her latest album, luck…or something, reflects her strained relationship with her sister, Haylie Duff.

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

Visibly emotional, Duff explained that she ultimately chose to include the song because it represents her truth. She noted that many people experience estrangement from loved ones, adding that authenticity was central to the album’s creation.

“For me, making a record was just going to be all about connection,” she said. “I was never going to take outside songs from people. What would the point be if it wasn’t me and it wasn’t my life?”

Duff also reflected on the challenges of living much of her life in the public eye, something she has navigated since childhood.

“I didn’t necessarily choose that part, but it’s my reality,” she said. “It was honestly healing to say.”

Addressing the pressures of constant online scrutiny, Duff acknowledged the difficulty of seeing her personal life dissected on social media.

“It’s hard to watch your life unfold on the internet sometimes, with people on TikTok speculating,” she said. “Sometimes they’re wrong and sometimes they’re right.”

When asked whether she hoped Haylie Duff would hear the song, Duff offered a measured response.

“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 emphasized the importance of personal agency, especially for those navigating similar situations.

“You have to do what feels good for you,” Duff said. “It’s taken me a lot of time to get there and to not care what the noise is going to be around it.”

Duff admitted she is uncertain whether her sister will hear the track or how she might respond.

“It is a really personal part of my life that doesn’t get to stay personal,” she said. “So I might as well say how it is for me as an experience. I’m not trying to say anything bad. It’s literally just my experience.”

In a Glamour cover story published earlier this week, Duff similarly touched on the complexities of family relationships, appearing to reference tensions with both her sister and father, Robert Duff.

“That’s my family. Those are the people that affect you the most,” she said. “Just because you’re born into a family doesn’t mean that it always stays together. You can only control your side.”

Last month, Duff debuted “We Don’t Talk” during her Small Rooms, Big Nerves concerts, prompting fans to speculate about the song’s meaning. The lyrics hint at unresolved distance, with Duff singing, “I’m not sure when it happened / Not even sure what it was about,” while referencing coming from “the same home, the same blood.”