Hilary Duff Surprises NYC Crowd with Good Charlotte, Sings ‘The Anthem’ with Ex Joel Madden

Hilary Duff’s debut headlining performance at Madison Square Garden is a night she will undoubtedly cherish forever. Beyond sharing the stage with Good Charlotte—featuring her former partner Joel Madden alongside his twin brother Benji Madden—to belt out their iconic anthem, the pop icon also revealed a chaotic morning that involved an unexpected emergency room visit for her young daughter. (Fortunately, everything turned out completely fine!)

Concert footage captured on Wednesday evening in New York City shows the beloved singer and actress encouraging the roaring audience to grant a massive ovation to her lifelong friends before embracing them warmly. A special clip shared via social media highlights the undeniable chemistry as the group revisited their timeless 2003 smash hit, which originally climbed to No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sporting a custom Good Charlotte graphic tee, Duff harmonized passionately with Joel, frequently aiming their microphones toward the ecstatic crowd to let the venue take over the chorus. “This is the anthem, throw all your hands up,” echoed through the packed arena.

This nostalgic onstage reunion has been more than two decades in the making. The multi-talented entertainer previously dated Joel Madden from 2004 to 2006, and the friendly exes have maintained a supportive dynamic ever since. Following the show, Good Charlotte shared a backstage snapshot featuring Duff alongside her husband Matthew Koma, the Madden brothers, and Nicole Richie.

Earlier in the evening, during the first of her consecutive sold-out nights at the iconic Manhattan venue, Duff offered fans a glimpse into her hectic pre-show routine. Alongside Koma—who notably collaborated with his wife on her critically acclaimed Billboard 200 charting album, Luck… Or Something—the family experienced a dramatic start to the day. “We spent our morning in the ER getting stitches for our 5-year-old,” she revealed candidly to the audience.

The performer reassured fans that her daughter Mae, the youngest of three girls she shares with Koma, is doing wonderfully now. (Duff is also mother to son Luca from a previous marriage.)

Laughing off the morning’s turbulence, she joked, “It’s entirely on-brand for our family that my monumental debut at MSG would run parallel to sitting in a hospital waiting room getting my child patched up.”

Experience the electric live collaboration between Hilary Duff and Good Charlotte below.

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