Hilary Duff says she received 'zero education' as a child star

Duff explained most of her teenage years were spent working rather than studying and she was 'homeschooled, barely'

Hilary Duff says her early rise to fame came at the cost of a traditional education. During a recent appearance on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie Ware and Lennie Ware, the actress and singer revealed that she received “zero education” while working as a child star.

Duff rose to fame at just 14 years old when she landed the lead role in the Disney Channel hit Lizzie McGuire, which quickly turned her into one of the biggest teen stars of the early 2000s. But spending so much time filming meant school often took a backseat.

When asked about her schooling during that period, Duff joked that she was “homeschooled, barely,” explaining that most of her teenage years were spent working rather than studying.

Although her mother later encouraged her to obtain a GED, Duff admitted she never pursued higher education. Still, the actress said she doesn’t regret how things turned out.

“I think I’m past the window of caring that my education wasn’t great,” Duff said, adding that she developed strengths in other areas and isn’t afraid to ask questions when she doesn’t know something.

Duff also joked about relying on modern technology to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. If she doesn’t know something — like when a historical event happened — she said there’s always Google or even ChatGPT to look it up.

Now a mother of four, Duff said education is something she takes very seriously when it comes to her own children. She added that she enjoys learning alongside them and sometimes even picks up new knowledge from their school lessons.

While Duff acknowledges that her upbringing in the entertainment industry was far from typical, she said she ultimately feels grateful for the experiences and opportunities that came with it.