Inside Joel Madden's controversial relationship with Hilary Duff when he was 25 and she was 16 - as rocker is accused of 'grooming' teen pop star by actress Christina Ricci

Joel Madden and Hilary Duff's controversial relationship has been thrust back into the spotlight two decades after they dated. 

The rocker, 47, and the Disney star, 38, were an item between 2004 and 2006, with their romance beginning when Joel was 25 and Hilary was 16.

Their age gap raised eyebrows at the time but the pair have remained good friends since their split, with Hilary bringing Joel on stage with her last week during her concert. 

Yet looking back on the relationship, the teen romance has not aged well. 

When one publication shared a post on Threads about Hilary and Joel reuniting for her show, it prompted one user to comment: 'No we are not going to normalize a grown man grooming a teenager.'

The Addams Family star Christina Ricci was quick to voice her agreement as she replied: 'Yeah seriously wtf?'

Hilary no doubt brought Joel on stage because he seemingly serves as the inspiration for her new single, Mature, in which she reflects on an age gap romance. 

In the tune, she sings to a younger version of herself, with lyrics including: 'She looks like all of your girls but blonder/A little like me, but younger.' 

 She later told Vogue of the track: 'It is definitely about a brief experience that I had in my - a long, long time ago. But it is not totally autobiographical.

'I was looking back on this relationship and thinking about whether this guy had a habit of dating younger women or whether I was "special." 

'The whole experience was super therapeutic to write about, but being so vulnerable through your music can be really scary.' 

Hilary added in a press release: 'Mature is a little conversation that my present self is having with my younger self. 

'The two of us are reflecting on a past experience and sending love to each other. It’s a chuckle, a wink, and a sense of being grateful that we are sure footed in where we landed.'

When Mature came out last year, an old Cosmopolitan interview with Hilary resurfaced on Reddit, in which she was asked who she lost her virginity to. 

'I had a 26-year-old boyfriend,' she replied, in reference to Joel. 'So everyone can make their own assumptions about what I was doing'.

In the same article she reflected on their breakup, musing: 'I had a pretty serious relationship at a young age that I ended, and it wrecked me for a good year and a half.

'I didn't really enjoy being single. My nature is happier being with someone and creating a deep friendship. Also the love aspect is super important, where you are really attracted to that person. It's hard to find that, all wrapped up into one.'

She also admitted that falling for Joel in her teenage years had been 'all-encompassing'.

She said on The Love Bomb Podcast in 2016: 'It was so intense. It was my life. It was like every minute of my day. It was pretty major.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Joel's representatives for comment.

For his part, Joel told People magazine at the time of their split that he 'did right' by Hilary during their romance. 

He stated: 'People can say or think whatever they want... so in my reality, it's kind of irrelevant. 

'I'm always the kind of person that does the right thing and keeps my side of the street clean.'

Discussing the cause of their split, Hilary told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show in 2007: 'There was nothing, no fight, no, "He did this, I did that." 

'It was just time for people to move on and do different things.

'I had a really great relationship with him, and we still have a great relationship, which is really good and unusual. He’s a good person, and I always will care about him.'

The pair have remained friends, with Hilary and Joel often going on double dates with their respective partners. 

Joel began dating Nicole Richie, 44, in 2006 shortly after his breakup from Hilary, and the couple tied the knot four years later.  

The couple share daughter Harlow, 18, who now chooses to go by the name Kate, and son Sparrow, 16.

Meanwhile, Hilary wed Matthew Koma in December 2019, four years after meeting during a studio session for her album Breathe In, Breathe Out.

They are parents to daughters Banks, seven, Mae, five, and Townes, two.

Hilary also has a son, Luca, 14, with first husband, former NHL player Mike Comrie. 

Back in 2024, Hilary and Matthew dressed up as Joel and his brother Benji Madden for Halloween.

Matt dressed as Joel with his MDDN hat, leather jacket and chain necklace while Hilary was the other Good Charlotte member in a black cap, leather vest and chain necklaces. 

They proudly showed off the looks while out to dinner with Joel and his wife Nicole. 

Joel and Nicole reposted the costume tribute to their own Stories, with Joel penning:  'Protect @matthewkoma and @hilaryduff at all costs,' along with two crown emojis.

Meanwhile on Joel's birthday, Matthew shared a series of throwback photos, including one of Joel and Hilary from 2006 when they were dating.

Matthew playfully captioned the post: 'It's not even that weird that you dated my wife @joelmadden. It just makes me feel closer to you.'