Hilary Duff felt like she “lost some serious innocence” by finding fame as a child.
Hilary Duff has reflected on her early years dealing with fame
The 38-year-old actress was in her early teens when she first took on the titular role in Disney series Lizzie McGuire in 2001, and she has recalled the impact of becoming a star at such an early age.
She told the On Purpose With Jay Shetty podcast: “Probably around 15 was when I feel like the world started getting very interested in what I was wearing, who I was dating, what I was eating … I feel like I lost some serious innocence.”
She recalled having to grow up in a situation where people were constantly “commenting on her body”, and comparing her to other girls in the same world.
She added: “I was dealing with people commenting on my body at a young age and starting to get photographed and people, like, asking you how many times you weigh yourself or comparing you to people that were thinner than you or other girls in your line of work.
“I definitely struggled for a little while there, just trying to fit a certain mold and have control over something in my life.
“Thankfully that was pretty short-lived. Um, but definitely toyed with it.”
Hilary started her career at just 10 years old and became a household name when she joined Lizzie McGuire, which meant she didn’t get the chance to do much studying.
She doesn’t have her GED (General Educational Development), which is the equivalent of a high school diploma for those who didn’t finish their education.
Speaking to Jessie and Lennie Ware on their Table Manners podcast, she said: “[I received] zero education, but I know a lot about a lot of things.”
Asked if she was homeschooled, Jessie added: “My mom was like, can you just go get your GED?”
Although she didn’t get her GED, Hilary is “happy” with her level of education and has no desire of returning to school as an adult.
She said: “I feel like I educated myself on my own of different things I was interested in.
“I love to read. I mean, I don’t have as much time as I would like to read, but I really enjoy reading.”
Lennie then asked if Hilary would return to education now and she said: “I think I’m past the window of caring that my education wasn’t great because I feel like I got strengths in other areas, and it kind of helps. And I’m not shy to ask a question about something.
“I know that my life was different than most, and I don’t need to be embarrassed that I don’t know when, like, a certain war took place. There’s Google for that and ChatGPT.”
