Hilary Duff brought a key piece of her past into one of the biggest nights of her music comeback.
Two decades after their split, the singer invited her ex-boyfriend Joel Madden and Good Charlotte onstage during her sold-out MSG concert. Her husband, Matthew Koma, later joined Duff, Madden, and Madden’s wife, Nicole Richie, for a backstage photo.
Joel’s brother Benji later shared the picture, calling the gathering “family night.” The moment further showed how Duff and Koma have developed a close friendship with the Maddens, years after the former couple split.
Matthew Koma Has Already Performed With Good Charlotte
Duff shocked fans during the first of her two concerts at Madison Square Garden.
As fans gyrated to the melodies coming from the stage, the singer took things up a notch by announcing a surprise appearance. “New York, you know I would never come here and not have a surprise for you,” she announced, wearing an oversized “Good Charlotte” T-Shirt.
She then introduced Joel, Benji Madden, and the band “Good Charlotte” as her long-time friends, to the absolute delight of the crowd. Their performance of “The Anthem” held the crowd spellbound.
However, the Disney alum is not the only one with a good relationship with Good Charlotte. Her husband Matthew Koma already has his own friendship with the Madden brothers. He notably performed with the band at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas in October 2023.
Duff attended the festival as well, and watched from backstage. She was later photographed spending time with Richie during the event.
Back then, after Koma performed with the group, Joel jokingly described him as the “heart and soul” of Good Charlotte. Benji also joked that the band could no longer perform without him.
The comments shared beneath Koma’s Instagram post about the event reflected his genuine relationship with the Madden brothers.
Koma has also openly joked about Duff’s history with Joel.
In March 2023, he shared an old picture of Duff and Joel while celebrating the musician’s birthday. “It’s not even that weird that you dated my wife @joelmadden,” he joked. “It just makes me feel closer to you.”
Duff Said She Regularly Spends Time With Madden’s Family
The “Lizzy McGuire” star previously discussed her friendship with the Maddens during a 2023 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.”
On the show, Duff revealed that the budding friendship started shortly after Joel and Richie became her neighbors.
“By the way, I have a good relationship with their whole family,” she stated. “I think people were [blown away]. We’re neighbors, and we actually hang out all the time.”
As the show went on, Duff shared how she and her husband regularly sought out a hiking trip with the Maddens. She described the friendship between both families as “lovely.”
The foursome had already attracted media attention after they were photographed at dinner in Los Angeles. Fans were naturally surprised to see Duff comfortably spending quality time with her ex and his wife. However, the singer suggested the dinner was not an unusual event for the group.
Richie also attended Duff’s recent Madison Square Garden Concert. She later joined Duff, Koma, Joel and Benji backstage for a group “family” photo.
The Reunion Came During Duff’s Biggest Comeback Show
This surprise Good Charlotte performance happened during a historic moment in Duff’s career.
The August 5 show was the first of two sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden, part of her “Lucky Me” world tour. It is her first major tour in 18 years.
During the concert, Duff regaled fans with music from different stages of her career. She performed older songs such as “So Yesterday,” “Come Clean,” and “Anywhere But Here.” She also gave the fans a taste of something from her latest album, “Luck… or Something.”
To the delight of her day one fans, Duff closed the show with “What Dreams Are Made Of.” The song was originally featured in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie.”
The Good Charlotte appearance added another juicy piece of early-2000s nostalgia to the already electric concert.
