Hilary Duff has spent nearly three decades in the public eye, evolving from a beloved Disney Channel icon into a multi-hyphenate mogul, musician, and dedicated mother of four.
In a candid new interview on the Not Gonna Lie podcast hosted by Kylie Kelce, the 38-year-old star opened up about the stark contrast between her high-profile career milestones and the raw realities of motherhood.
From comparing the grueling intensity of the viral YouTube show Hot Ones to her intimate experiences with home birth, Duff provided fans with a refreshing, unfiltered look into her life.
The actress also touched upon her historic, empowering appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, navigating the world of parenting a tech-savvy teenager, and how her young children react to her classic films like A Cinderella Story.
Spicy Wings vs. Childbirth: Duff Settles the Debate
During her sit-down with Kylie Kelce, Duff did not hold back when asked to compare two of the most intense, albeit vastly different, experiences of her recent life:
surviving the legendary Scoville scale on First We Feast’s Hot Ones and enduring a natural home birth.
Duff, who welcomed her fourth child in May 2024, gave a definitive answer that speaks to the immense strength of women undergoing labor.
“The home birth was much harder,” Duff admitted without hesitation. However, she was quick to give credit to the sheer physical shock of host Sean Evans’ notorious wing lineup.
“But [Hot Ones], once you get to… like eight and you get to Da Bomb, you’re like, ‘Not okay.'”
The “Da Bomb Beyond Insanity” hot sauce is infamous among celebrities for its sharp, chemical burn, registering at over 135,000 Scoville Heat Units.
While Duff managed to power through the interview like a professional, she made it clear that the hot sauce left a lasting impression.
Still, compared to the hours of unmedicated labor required for a home birth, the spicy gauntlet was just a temporary flash in the pan.
Inside Hilary Duff’s Empowering Journey to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
Beyond discussing her podcast revelations, Duff’s recent career has been marked by a major celebration of body positivity.
For a star who grew up under the harsh scrutiny of the 2000s tabloid culture, stepping in front of the camera for such a high-profile feature was a full-circle moment.
Duff has been vocal in the past about her struggles with body image during her teenage years on Lizzie McGuire. Posing for the magazine allowed her to reclaim her narrative and celebrate her body after giving birth.
Duff noted that the feature felt like an acknowledgment of her strength as a woman and a mother.
It sent a powerful message to her millions of followers that beauty, confidence, and sex appeal do not have an expiration date and are only amplified by the journey of motherhood.
Navigating the Blended Family Life: Four Kids and Counting
Duff’s transition into a mother of four has been a journey filled with love, chaotic schedules, and plenty of growth. Her modern, blended family includes:
- Luca Cruz (14): Her eldest son, whom she shares with her ex-husband, former professional hockey player Mike Comrie.
- Banks Violet (7): Her first child with husband Matthew Koma, born in October 2018.
- Mae James (5): Her second daughter with Koma, born in March 2021.
- Townes Meadow (2): Her youngest daughter, born in May 2024.
Duff and record producer Matthew Koma tied the knot in an intimate backyard ceremony in 2019.
Since then, the couple has earned praise from fans for their humorous, deeply relatable approach to parenting, frequently documenting the messy realities of raising toddlers and teenagers simultaneously on social media.
Gen Z Slang and the Art of Not Embarrassing Her Teen Son
As the parent of a teenager, Duff faces a completely different set of challenges than she does with her toddlers.
On the Not Gonna Lie podcast, she shared a funny look into her relationship with her 14-year-old son, Luca, noting that she constantly absorbs new internet slang from him—even if he forbids her from using it.
“Yeah, I mean, all the time,” Duff laughed when asked if she tries out her son’s vocabulary.
“I’m like, ‘What am I gonna say that’s not going to completely embarrass him?’ Because the second I use it or talk about him, he’s like, ‘Just don’t. Please don’t.'”
Podcast host Kylie Kelce, who shares three daughters with former NFL star Jason Kelce, deeply commiserated with the struggle of staying culturally relevant to the younger generation.
“It’s very cringe. I don’t know if cringe is old now,” Kelce joked. “Cringe might be old. There’s probably a new term for cringe.”
What Does “Getting Clipped” Mean?
Duff agreed and shared a specific piece of modern teen slang she recently learned from Luca regarding how kids interact over smartphones.
She explained that when Luca and his friends FaceTime each other, they often avoid showing their actual faces on the screen to prevent their peers from taking a screenshot to use as blackmail later.
According to Duff, her son holds the phone up at a high angle away from his face because they are terrified of “getting clipped.”
“And they don’t want to get clipped. They don’t want a screen grab to be taken of them,” Duff explained, pointing out how digital-native teenagers have developed their own unique survival rules for navigating social media privacy and peer teasing.
A New Generation Discovers ‘A Cinderella Story’
When she isn’t learning slang from her teenager, Duff is introducing her younger daughters to her legendary film catalog.
Earlier this year, during a career retrospective video with Vanity Fair, Duff rewatched several of her most famous scenes, including the 2004 romantic comedy classic A Cinderella Story, co-starring Chad Michael Murray.
The film, which features Duff as the hardworking Sam Montgomery, includes a climax where she attends a masquerade ball wearing a small, delicate lace eye mask.
While the scene has swooned audiences for over two decades, Duff revealed that her 5-year-old daughter, Mae, is incredibly skeptical of the plot.
“My [daughter] has watched this movie and also picked up on like, ‘How could he not know it’s you in that mask?'” Duff shared.
“And I was like, ‘It’s the age-old question, honey.’ And she’s like, ‘But it’s you. You are right there. I don’t understand. How does he not know?’ I’m like, ‘I know.'”
The lighthearted critique from her own daughter highlights the enduring legacy of Duff’s early work, which continues to find a home with a brand-new generation of young viewers.
Hilary Duff’s appearance on the Not Gonna Lie podcast reinforces why she remains one of the most grounded figures in the entertainment industry.
Whether she is discussing the physical demands of natural childbirth, the fiery torture of celebrity hot sauce challenges, or the vulnerability of posing for Sports Illustrated, Duff approaches every topic with total transparency.
As she continues to balance her work as an actress, singer, and entrepreneur with the daily demands of raising four children, Duff proves that the most relatable parts of her life are often the ones away from the cameras.
If you want to stay updated on Hilary Duff’s latest projects, what lifestyle topics or parenting stories from her interview caught your attention the most?
Let me know if you would like me to unpack her home birth advocate work or her past fitness routines!