Hilary Duff is actively dismantling outdated stigmas surrounding motherhood and body positivity. As announced by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on Tuesday, May 12, the celebrated actress and musician has been tapped as one of the 2026 cover stars for their iconic annual edition. Duff candidly admitted that stepping into this role as a mother of four felt initially overwhelming.
“It was incredibly flattering, of course,” Duff remarked regarding her inclusion alongside fellow cover models Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish, and Nicole Williams English. However, the experience pushed her outside of her comfort zone. “I’m a mother of four, and I’m certainly not in my twenties anymore,” she shared. “I don’t typically spend my time frolicking in a swimsuit, so the prospect was genuinely intimidating.”
Duff, who shares her 14-year-old son, Luca, with former husband Mike Comrie, and her three daughters—Banks, Mae, and Townes—with husband Matthew Koma, has long been a vocal advocate for realistic portrayals of motherhood. Her history of challenging body-shaming dates back to 2017, when she utilized Instagram to call out invasive tabloids, championing the idea that a mother’s body should be celebrated for its strength and function rather than criticized for perceived imperfections.
Beyond this modeling milestone, Duff is currently riding the wave of a monumental musical resurgence. Following the February release of Luck … or Something—her first studio album in a decade—which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, she is preparing for her highly anticipated Lucky Me Tour, including a two-night residency at Madison Square Garden this August.
Reflecting on her journey with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, the artist confessed that before this latest professional chapter, she doubted a return to music was on the horizon. “For years, people would ask when I’d drop another album, and I always deflected,” she explained. “The honest truth is that I wasn’t sure if I’d ever return, because I had never had the opportunity to create music entirely on my own terms until now.”
