When Avril Lavigne told the fans who dressed up like her to ‘get a life’ in the early 2000s, Hilary Duff criticized the singer during a chat with the World Entertainment News Network:
“I think some of the things Avril said about her fans were kind of mean-spirited. She said that she was pissed off at her fans for copying her style. I was like, ‘You should be happy that these people like you and look up to you!'”
In a following interview with Newsweek, Lavigne responded by saying:
“I read [in a magazine] that I was supposedly mad at my fans for dressing like me. They quoted Hilary Duff saying, ‘Avril needs to appreciate her fans more.’ I’m like, ‘Excuse me?’ First off, it’s not even true. I never said that. And second, who the hell cares what she has to say about my fans? Hilary Duff’s such a goody-goody, such a mommy’s girl.”
These comments became the beginning of a feud between the two singers in the upcoming years. Later, Lavigne told People magazine that if Duff didn’t ‘shut her mouth,’ she would ‘shut it for her,’ and kept referring to the actress on different platforms.
For example, talking live to MIX 98.5’s John Lander, she said:
“I’m like, ‘Who are you to talk about me? You should know better. Don’t talk trash with me.’ You [Duff] can go screw yourself.”
After this, a representative told the press that Duff was sorry for her remarks and the way they were taken ‘out of proportion.’ But the fight continued as the two parties attended Toronto’s MuchMusic Video Awards in June 2004.
During that night, a reporter asked Lavigne about Duff’s possible apology, and she sarcastically commented:
“Yeah, I’d like to see that one.”
Neither artist stayed for the backstage press part of the event that night. The media saw this as their way to avoid each other, but the Disney actress later said that wasn’t true and explained not meeting Lavigne by saying those kinds of events weren’t fit for socializing.
Still, the fight between the singers continued when Time magazine asked Duff about the ‘Complicated’ singer calling her a ‘mommy’s girl,’ as she replied:
“With Avril Lavigne, her CD is in my car right now. You know what I did? I said something I shouldn’t have said. I said she should respect her fans more. And then she called me a mommy’s girl or a good girl. I don’t care. I am a good girl.”
A few years later, as the feud continued, Duff and Lavigne again attended the same event. Although they were set to appear at 2007’s Maxim Hot 100 party in New York City at different times, the two arrived at the same time.
While, according to Metro New York, their handlers tried to keep them away from each other, the rest of the evening became ‘a constant battle to keep the warring stars apart, with both parties threatening to leave if the other stayed.’
The back and forth went on until late 2008, but things started to cool off in the following period, although neither Duff nor Lavigne attempted to make peace throughout the years.