Hilary Duff speaks candidly about complex relationship with father

Hilary Duff has admitted there are times when she doesn’t “talk to (her) dad”.

In her new song The Optimist, included on her sixth studio album Luck… or Something, the singer-actress includes the lyric, “I wish I could sleep on planes/And that my father would really love me.”

Asked about the heartbreaking line during an interview for Rolling Stone published on Thursday, Hilary explained that her relationship with her dad, Robert Duff, has its ups and downs.

“There’s times where I talk to my dad and times where I don’t talk to my dad,” she divulged. “I do have a pretty sunny disposition, but a lot of s**t has gone down, and that’s life.”

In addition, Hilary spoke about the track We Don’t Talk, which hints at another complicated relationship in her personal life.

Fans have speculated the song is about her sister Haylie Duff, from whom she has been reported to be estranged for some time.

Some eagle-eyed followers even suggested a mustard-coloured couch that she performed on during a London concert last month was a reference to an item owned by her older sibling.

“People have known my life since I was a child, and so they know all the characters in it and they know what I’m talking about. For me, it was important to be open about that theme. It genuinely came from the heart,” the 38-year-old continued, without naming the subject of the song. “I was not, however, prepared for people to be like, ‘The couch is the colour of the couch…’ That is absolute bulls**t, and totally not true and crazy. And I don’t have the time to make threads for people to catch on to about that. I have a full life and a busy family, and this was literally just a song about my truth, and that was it.”

Representatives for Haylie have not yet responded to the claims.

Co-produced by Hilary’s husband, Matthew Koma, Luck… or Something is out now.

The pop star will embark on a global trek, titled the Lucky Me Tour, in support of the project later in the year.