Fans have seen their favorite Disney (and non-Disney) stars get pulled through the wringer after growing up in the industry. While many stars have since turned their lives around, fans saw stars like Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan, to name only a few, go through hell and back after gaining fame at such a young age. Many of these stars have since had some pretty negative things to say about their experience with Disney. Hilary Duff is one of the biggest names to come from Disney, yet she managed to avoid this 'Disney curse.' It wasn't easy, but fans didn't see Hilary Duff go through a dark phase, like many of her co-stars.

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Even though fans are seeing their favorite stars get help and turn their lives around, this so-called "Disney Curse" was still a dark time for many celebrities. Hilary Duff had to put in work to avoid experiencing the same downfalls as her co-stars.

8 Hilary Duff Took A Break At The Peak Of Her Career

Hilary Duff was on everyone's screens in the early 2000s. Unlike many young stars, she took a break and slowed down how many opportunities and projects she took on. Even though fans were still seeing her on TV, she wasn't taking on as many projects as most actors typically do.

7 Hilary Duff Cut Out Toxicity In Her Life

Alongside other stars her age, her relationships sparked up controversy. After dating Aaron Carter, who also dated fellow star Lindsay Lohan around the same time period, she dated Joel Madden, who was ten years older than her. Hilary Duff realized that she needed to change not only her relationships, but also her friendships. She told Cosmopolitan that "at 19, I did a massive friend cleanse." It wasn't easy, but she knew she needed to make a change to avoid going down a dark path.

6 Hilary Duff Experienced Life Outside The Industry

Although she loves the industry that she is still in today, Hilary Duff wanted to experience life outside of Hollywood. Doing everyday activities and chores was something to keep her feeling grounded and normal. Raising her kids and enjoying experiences with them was very important to her.

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5 Hilary Duff Had Her Own Struggles

Regardless of the fact that fans didn't see the same public downfall with Hilary Duff that they did with other stars, it doesn't take away the fact that she did have her own struggles. For instance, she told Health, "when I was 17, I weighed, like, 98 pounds." Being in the public spotlight wasn't easy on her, especially as a teenager.

4 Marriage, Then Child, Then Divorce - All In Her Twenties

All during her twenties, Hilary Duff got married, had a baby, and got divorced. Her now ex-husband, Mike Comrie, was reportedly asking women to sleep with him at Mastro's Steakhouse. The day following this report, Hilary Duff filed for divorce. She has shared with fans her personal experience of getting divorced so young, with a child to now co-parent. At age 22, Hilary Duff got married, and looking back, she says she wouldn't change it for the world, because she now has her son, Luca.

Related: Did Disney Hire An Acting Coach For Hilary Duff On ‘Lizzie McGuire’?

3 Hilary Duff Takes On Roles That Fit Her Values

Avoiding the Disney curse wasn't easy, but taking on roles that fit her best was an important principle to follow for Hilary Duff. In 2020, she took to Instagram to confirm the cancelation of the Lizzie McGuire reboot. To put things frankly, Hilary Duff and Disney are both very protective over the character of Lizzie McGuire, and they didn't see eye-to-eye on what the reboot should be like. The cast wanted something that fans who grew up watching the show would enjoy, while Disney was more focused on a younger audience.

2 Hilary Duff Sticks To Her Gut

The Lizzie McGuire Movie was a huge success, but there could have been a sequel that fans didn't know about. Hilary Duff and her mom stood their ground, claiming that Disney was trying to bully her into making another profitable film. Hilary and her mother wanted an offer before the filming began, but Disney was adamant about making an offer after discovering how successful a sequel would be, so the deal never happened.

1 Hilary Duff Still Has A Fear Of Messing Up

Hilary Duff has been very open and vocal about seeing other stars go through really rough times. She empathizes with her fellow actors and still fears that the same could happen to her at any time. She went on to tell ET Canada, "a lot of the stories are quite sad, and I feel bad for them because I know what this industry can do to you... I think everyone just does the best they can."

Next: Hilary Duff And Francia Raisa: Are They Friends In Real Life?