Hilary Duff poses completely naked for magazine: ‘I’m proud of my body’

Hilary Duff says working on the inside is more important than the outside. (Getty Images)

Hilary Duff, 34, has posed nude as Women’s Health’s new cover star – and is now “proud of her body” after spending years trying to live up to Hollywood’s beauty standards.

The images feature full body shots and close-ups of her bathing in water and the sun, looking fresh-faced with wet hair.

“I’m proud of my body. I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through,” she told the magazine for its May The Body Issue.

While she’s proud of her shoot, Duff clearly also wants to keep things real, adding, “I also want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”

But as an actor in Hollywood, rising as a child star on Lizzie McGuire, and more recently signing on to How I met Your Father while eight months pregnant, this journey to body confidence hasn’t come without its obstacles.

“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny,” she explained. Duff battled a yearlong eating disorder at 17 which she was “horrifying”, making her decision to pose naked now all the more intentional and empowering.

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On what has helped her find a calm place with her body, she said, “Perhaps after having Banks [her daughter, three].

“I didn’t even know if I was going to have the opportunity to have another child [after her 2016 divorce].

“So, being a mum again, maybe. It was a whole mix of things – of being settled and realising that I’m powerful and talented and smart. All mental things.”

Other than Banks, Duff’s household consists of her husband Matthew Koma, their second daughter together Mae, one, and her son Luca, 10 from her previous marriage to retired hockey player Mike Comrie, as well as three dogs and seven chickens.

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She also openly discussed the key role therapy plays in her life, suggesting the idea to her son incase he ever felt like he wanted it. “He was like, ‘I don’t need a therapist!’ I said, ‘No, no, no, I didn’t say you need a therapist. But I love my therapist, and I always feel better when I leave because I can say whatever I want and not feel judged.’ Everybody needs that,” she explained.

Duff also shared the images of the shoot to her Instagram, revealing how “terrified” she was.

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“Sooooo, this was scary….. I knew doing this would terrify me and I was right! @womenshealthmag had the most lovely all-women shoot and I actually had the best time,” her caption reads.

“I felt strong and beautiful and laughed a lot getting into some of these poses without my high waisted mom jeans and oversized whatever I normally wear.

“Thank you to everyone who normalised this day for me and propped me up with compliments and love.”

Hilary Duff with her husband, singer-songwriter Matthew Koma, their daughter Banks, and Duff’s son Luca, at Disneyland Park on July 23, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Disneyland Resort via Getty Images)

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Ashley Tisdale commented with a string of fire emojis, while actor and singer Jamie-Lynn Sigler wrote “Wow wow wow. What a beautiful display of just a complete badass gorgeous woman”.

Fans also filled the comments, writing, “this is beautiful! and you seem like you’re confident in your body rather than trying to “show it off”, I feel like the intentions are pure”, and “You look absolutely incredible!!!!!”

While she worked with her new trainer Dominic Leeder in the months leading up to the shoot, completing hour-long work outs four days a week that consisted of quite extreme strength and stability workouts (of which she has since slowed down the intensity slightly), and has dabbled with beauty treatments, this isn’t what she prioritises.

“I want to work on the inside. That’s the most important part of the system,” she told the magazine.

Watch: Hilary Duff reflects on ‘anxiety-inducing’ Vanity Fair cover photoshoot