In a rare public appearance together, actress Hilary Duff and her former husband, ex-NHL player Mike Comrie, were seen this week supporting their teenage son at a football match. The sighting comes a full decade after the couple's divorce and amid swirling rumours about Duff's involvement in a so-called 'toxic' celebrity mother's group.
A United Front for Their Son
The 38-year-old Lizzie McGuire star joined Comrie and their 13-year-old son, Luca, on Tuesday to cheer the youngster on from the sidelines. Duff, who has four children in total, kept her look stylish yet casual for the family outing. She wore light blue jeans and a white shirt, layered under a long black coat, with her blonde hair parted in the middle and flowing past her shoulders.
Adding a touch of luxury to the ensemble was a black Chanel purse slung over her shoulder, while she carried a water bottle and a book in her hands. Comrie, meanwhile, opted for relaxed attire in a light grey hoodie and black sweatpants.
The pair, who were married from 2010 until their divorce was finalised in early 2016, have consistently maintained a friendly relationship for the sake of their son. Duff has been vocal in the past about their successful co-parenting dynamic.
Duff's Comments on Co-Parenting and Current Family Life
In a 2017 interview with Cosmopolitan, the actress praised her ex-husband, stating, "Mike's amazing. We're so ingrained in each other's lives. I wouldn't choose anyone else to co-parent with. We are really good friends and care a lot about each other."
She also told People magazine that she felt proud of how they handled their separation, emphasising they remain a unit for Luca. "I feel so lucky this happened when Luca was young because this is his normal now," she added.
Duff has since moved on, marrying singer Matthew Koma in 2019. The couple share three children: Banks, seven, Mae, four, and Townes, one. They celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary last December with humorous social media tributes, where Koma compared being married to Duff to eating at Taco Bell.
The Backdrop of 'Toxic' Mom Group Allegations
This familial outing occurs against a backdrop of ongoing celebrity gossip concerning a private mother's group allegedly involving Duff. The drama escalated earlier this month when fellow Disney Channel alum Ashley Tisdale published an essay for The Cut titled 'Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group'.
While not naming individuals, Tisdale described feeling "frozen out" by the group during her postpartum period, likening the experience to being back in high school. "All of a sudden I was in high school again, feeling totally lost as to what I was doing 'wrong' to be left out," she wrote.
Fans noted that Tisdale unfollowed both Duff and Mandy Moore on Instagram around the time the article was released. The group is said to have included several stars who would message, holiday together, and arrange shared playdates.
In a pointed defence of his wife, Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, appeared to call out Tisdale on Instagram. He shared a photoshopped image with a fake headline referencing a "self obsessed and tone deaf person" and alluded to the mom group tell-all.
Further fuelling the rumours, Duff's sister, Haylie Duff, with whom she is rumoured to be estranged, liked an Instagram post promoting Tisdale's viral essay. Mandy Moore has since broken her silence indirectly, praising Koma's generosity in a social media post.
The sighting of Duff and Comrie presents a picture of mature, dedicated parenting, starkly contrasting the alleged petty dynamics of the celebrity mom group gossip that continues to circulate.
