Hilary Duffknows thatthisis what dreams are made of.
After all, as the “So Yesterday” singer hit all the right notes during her Aug. 5 sold-out show in New York City, she came clean about the surprise guest appearance: Her ex-boyfriendJoel Madden‘s bandGood Charlotte.
“New York, you know I would never come here and not have a surprise for you,” Hilary—who teased the surprise earlier while changing into a Good Charlotte T-shirt—told fans at Madison Square Garden. “I brought two of my dearest friends to New York City tonight. Talk about some day oners.”
While fans waited with bated breath during the Lucky Me Tour stop, the pop star announced, “Can you please give the warmest welcome to my friends, Good Charlotte?”
Joel—who dated the Disney alum, nine years his junior, from 2004 to 2006—and his brotherBenji Maddenstepped onstage to perform “The Anthem,” with Hilary chiming in for an unforgettable duet.
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See Hilary Duff Reunite With Ex Joel Madden on Couples Group Date
It was an evening to remember for the exes, with the rockstar’s wife Nicole Richie and the Disney alum’s husband Matthew Komain attendance, as well as her kids Luca, 14, Banks, 7, Mae, 5, and Townes, 2.
Benji couldn’t help but beam over the reunion, writing on his Instagram Stories alongside a snap of them backstage, “Family night @ MSG. Congrats @hilaryduff.”
Although bringing Joel, 47—who shares kidsKate, 18, andSparrow, 16, with theSimple Lifealum—and Benji on stage was a major surprise for attendees, Hilary previously emphasized that there’s only love between them.
“I have a good relationship with their whole family,” she shared onWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohenin January 2023. “People are like, ‘What?’ We’re neighbors. We actually hang out all the time.”
In fact, the 38-year-old shared a glimpse into her bond with Nicole, adding, “I was just in her driveway honking for her to come drink wine with us the other day.”
But Hilary understands that their friendship could confuse outsiders.
“I think the whole world’s mind was blown for a second,” she recalled, but she said of their bond, “It’s lovely.”
As Hilary continues to dazzle fans on her Lucky Me Tour, keep reading for more celebs who are friendly with their own exes.
Jeff Vespa/WireImageJennifer Aniston & Brad PittNo, they are never, ever, ever getting back together. But at this point—between the birthday parties, the friendly embraces and even freaking acting out a sexual fantasy in a star-studded virtual reading of Fast Times at Ridgemont High—it feels like the former Hollywood golden couple is just taunting us. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DisneySarah Silverman & Jimmy KimmelYou know you’re cool when you can pop into your ex’s talk show and give him a hard time. Such was the case when Sarah turned up on Jimmy’s stage to chat about her new show, I Love You, America and his “cute,” “bright,” “funny” wife Molly Kimmel. “It’s not fair!” she cracked. “She gets, like, new woke Jimmy. I had Man Show Jimmy.”
Samir Hussein/WireImageChris Pratt & Anna FarisTBH, we might still be mourning this relationship harder than either of its participants. Because when Anna—now married to cinematographer Michael Barrett—heard that Pratt was set to wed Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019, she offered to officiate. She even sent over a gift after the newlyweds welcomed daughter Lyla in August 2020. Thrilled for son Jack to become a big brother, a source told E! News at the time that Anna “is very supportive.” Richard Shotwell/Invision/APTarek El Moussa & Christina HallIt would have been super easy for the exes’ relationship to become a flop. But more than four years after a messy split, the HGTV stars are still killing it at two projects: parenting kids Taylor and Brayden and turning run-down properties into someone else’s dream home.Alexandra Wyman/WireImageLisa Bonet & Lenny KravitzLiterally “best friends” as the rocker put it in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the parents to actress Zoe Kravitz still consider themselves kin. “We’re one big happy family,” Lenny said of his ex, who went on to wed Jason Momoa before their 2020 split. “It’s beautiful, and it just shows you what can be done.”Broadimage/ShutterstockJulianne Hough & Brooks LaichAfter the Dancing With the Stars co-host and former hockey player called in quits in 2020, the pair have continually proved they are on good terms.
When Brooks’ announced his engagement to Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir in December 2024, Julianne celebrated the news, writing on Instagram, “I’m so happy for you both as you step into this beautiful new chapter together. Wishing you both a lifetime of love, laughter, and endless adventures.”
Months later, the dancer and her ex-husband, alongside his pregnant now-fiancée, spent the day together on the lake, posting a pic herself with them with the caption, “Special day on the lake with these three cuties.”Jeff Vespa/VF14/WireImageBen Affleck & Jennifer GarnerSince their 2015 breakup, the parents to Violet, Seraphina and Samuel have hit the conscious uncoupling trifecta: Joint vacations, shared holidays and public displays of admiration with Ben dubbing his ex “an amazing mother” during a 2016 interview with E! News. InstagramNina Dobrev & Ian SomerhalderNina and Ian may have called it quits in 2013 after three years of dating, but they’ve remained close friends since then. In 2014, the Vampire Diaries star started dating Nikki Reed and tied the knot later that year. Naturally, Dobrev befriended the Twilight actress.Fred Hayes/Getty Images for Operation SmileLady Gaga & Taylor KinneyThe two called it quits in July 2016 after five years together. The singer said on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show the following October that she’s “very close” to Kinney, adding, “He’s been my lover and a friend for so long.”
“We love each other,” she said. “That’s it.”Beth Dubber/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesMindy Kaling & B.J. NovakThe Office’s on-and-off pairing remained so tantalizingly close after the series wrapped in 2013 that even Mindy gets why people are still shipping them. “If I was on the outside looking at it, I would think the same thing,” she told Good Housekeeping in 2019 of naming him godparent to her kids. “But the truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend.”Jesse Grant/ Getty ImagesAshlee Simpson & Pete WentzThe exes had no trouble coparenting their son, Bronx, after finalizing their divorce back in 2011. The Fall Out Boy singer has even said his former wife is “an awesome mom.”Jamie McCarthy, John Parra/Getty ImagesMiley Cyrus & Nick JonasSo she’s over those “7 Things” then? The JoBro musician has said he’s “really friendly” with his ex. “We’ve got a good relationship.”Picture Perfect/ShutterstockMichael C. Hall & Jennifer CarpenterThe Dexter stars first met on set in 2006 before things got romantic in 2008. And although they divorced in 2011, Jennifer assured there was “nothing but love and respect” between the exes a few years later. Joe Corrigan/Getty ImagesBruce Willis & Demi MooreLong the gold standard of copacetic exes, the parents to daughters Rumer, Tallulah and Scout remain so tight that the decision to ride out coronavirus stay-at-home orders together in Idaho was a no-brainer. Quarantine dance party anyone?Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesJennifer Lopez & Marc AnthonySome four years after their 2014 divorce, Lopez was still giving her former spouse, dad to her twins Max and Emme, props. “While I was married to Marc, he really helped me with my confidence and he saw where I suffered,” she said on a 2018 episode of Sunday Today. “He was like, ‘You’re a great singer. Don’t ever let anybody tell you you’re not a great singer.’ And I respected him so much ’cause I consider him one of the best singers of all time.”John Shearer/WireImageCourteney Cox & David ArquetteEven if it hasn’t been his day, his week, his month or even his year, the actress will be there for her former husband and Scream costar. “I mean, as divorces go, I would say it’s one of the better ones. For sure,” she shared on Running Wild With Bear Grylls eight years after their 2010 split. Raising daughter Coco, she continued, “We’re good co-parents together.”Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesCameron Diaz & Justin TimberlakeTheir real life romance may have fizzled in 2007. However, that doesn’t mean the two couldn’t heat up the screen in the 2011 movie Bad Teacher.Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesPeter Facinelli & Jennie GarthSure, the initial few months of their 2013 split were rough going, but the actors have now reached the group vacation stage of their divorce. “I really like her husband and I think he’s a great guy,” the Twilight alum told LaPalme Magazine of a 2017 trip to Cancun that included Garth, Dave Abrams, Peter’s now-fiancée Lily Anne Harrison and their three daughters Luca, Lola and Fiona. As for his relationship with Jennie, he continued, “People come into your life for a reason and relationships can change,” he told LaPalme. “Just because we aren’t living together doesn’t mean you can’t love each other.”Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesWill Arnett & Amy PoehlerDespite a surprise separation in September 2012, the couple decided to put on a united front for their children. “As you know, Will and I are very, very good friends,” she explained during a 2014 interview with Howard Stern. “We are doing a really good job. I don’t think a 10-year marriage constitutes a failure. I think relationships are really tough.”Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/ShutterstockMaren Morris & Ryan HurdThe Grammy winner and her ex-husband—who finalized their divorce in January 2024—have remained on good terms as they continue to parent their son Hayes. In fact, the songwriters live just five minutes apart from one another, which makes co-parenting a breeze.
“Our stops are really easy,” Maren told The Zoe Report in May 2025, “and we’ll have family dinners.”
