Featured Image Credit: Cindy Ord/VF23/Getty Images for Vanity Fair/Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Topics: Celebrity, Halloween, Sex and Relationships, US News, Music
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Celebrity, Halloween, Sex and Relationships, US News, Music
Hilary Duff and her husband Matthew Koma have sparked quite the discussion online after dressing up as the American actress' former flame Joel Madden for Halloween.
Not only are some fans of the couple branding their choice of spooky get-up 'bizarre', but the odd move has led others to reflect on the controversial age-gap relationship that Duff and Madden had previously had, and ask how on earth the Lizzie McGuire star's current beau could possibly be cool with it?
For those out of the loop with Disney Channel star Duff's personal life, allow us to fill you in.
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The child star was just 16 when she began dating Good Charlotte musician Madden - who himself was 25 when they went public with their romance in 2004.
Their cross-generational relationship sparked a tidal wave of backlash at the time, with many critics questioning how old the actress was when they first became intimately-involved.
Whilst their loved-up red carpet appearances and musical collaborations eventually won some fans over, others were pleased by their 2006 split - after which Duff wed singer-songwriter Koma, and Madden married reality star Nicole Richie.
What many never expected, however, was that in the years that followed, the foursome would become quite a close-knit unit of friends.
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A reminder of this oddity came this week, when Duff and Koma donned costumes of Madden and his bandmate brother Benji for Halloween, sharing a side-by-side social media snap, each wearing black MDDN caps, matching sunglasses, baggy t-shirts and gold chains.
After tagging the duo - Madden's Simple Life star wife Nicole re-shared the image who herself wrote, 'Protect @matthewkoma and @hilaryduff at all costs,' and revealed that the group had subsequently gone out to dinner.
Whilst Duff and Koma might have viewed the move as lighthearted - if not, rather comical - some followers of the big-name duo aren't thrilled.
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In fact, taking to the discussion forum Reddit, some have questioned how it can be that Koma is seemingly so relaxed about staying in contact with an adult man who publicly dated his wife when she was just a high schooler.
"Is it strange to anyone else that they’re all friends?" one user asked. "I mean it’s on brand for Matt Koma to do a goofy costume like this, but given the context it’s weird."
Another confessed: "I used to follow Matt but he made such a weird post a few years ago with a pic of him and the Madden bros and saying happy Valentine’s Day Hilary from your two boos. And it just made me so uncomfortable."
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A third went on: "Idk man all of this feels like overcompensation for something. Being low key friends is one thing but all the publicity they seek makes it sus to me."
Others, however, seemingly had a much more neutral stance on the two couples' friendship.
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"Her life, if she’s okay with things now, who am I to pass judgment?," one penned. "He’s still wrong and weird for dating her back then though"
Another wrote: "Idk I feel like if she doesn’t look back at their relationship as traumatising we shouldn’t either. Obviously it’s icky and shouldn’t have happened but Hilary seems genuinely well adjusted in adult life and is happily married and friends with Joel and Nicole."
Attempting to empathise with Duff and Madden's former relationship, a third explained: "I have a feeling Hilary tells herself that no one her age was on her level at 16.
"She had a full career and everything, so I mean I get she probably wasn’t able to connect with most guys in their late teens and early 20s. I’m sure Joel has a similar justification for how she wasn’t a 'regular' 16 year old girl."
Another continued: "This exactly. She's having a blast and who tf are we to call her weird when she's been through more than we'll ever know."