Joel Madden is actively rejecting any speculative whispers surrounding him and Hilary Duff. The frontman of Good Charlotte displayed his heartfelt support for the singer's latest single "Mature," amidst the chatter that the lyrics were inspired by their brief romance, which bloomed between 2004 and 2006. At the age of 46, Joel reposted his wife Nicole Richie's Instagram Story to his own account, which captured a hilarious moment of Nicole and Hilary laying in the grass and laughing together. "‘Mature’ is not the word I would use to describe us,” Nicole wrote, tagging Hilary, “but regardless, this song is a banger.”
In the lyrics of her new song—co-written with husband Matthew Koma and Madison Love—Hilary sings about a relationship she had with an older man. “She looks like she could be your daughter / Like me before I got smarter,” the 38-year-old sings during the chorus. “When I was flattered to hear you say / You’re so mature for your age.” The song sparked rumors that Joel was the muse behind the track, considering their nine-year age gap and their split when Hilary was 19 and he was 28. "So, Hilary Duff fans, is 'Mature' about Joel Madden?" one user posted on X on November 10. Another joked, "The new Hilary Duff diss track about Joel Madden is wild."
However, Hilary herself didn't confirm the rumors, instead explaining that the inspiration came from the idea of having a conversation with a younger version of herself. “With ‘Mature,’ it’s a really fun song, and I feel like it’s myself talking to my younger self about an experience we had and just reflecting on it,” she shared on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast on November 5. “And being okay with it and having a little tongue-in-cheek moment with yourself. Accepting your past and being good with where you landed.”
Hilary, who shares kids Luca, 13, with ex Mike Comrie, and Banks, 7, Mae, 4, and Townes, 18 months, with Matthew, has found a place where she and Matthew are now incredibly close with Nicole and Joel. “We’re neighbors. And we actually hang out all the time,” she shared on Watch What Happens Live in 2023. “I was just in her driveway honking her to come drink wine with us the other day.”
