Hilary Duff Had One Rule For Her Sports Illustrated Shoot

Hilary Duff could have landed the quilt of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Situation 2026, however the actress and singer made one factor clear from the beginning. She wasn’t doing bikinis. The 38-year-old mom of 4 lately opened up about setting boundaries for the shoot and why feeling snug in her personal pores and skin mattered greater than baring all of it.

Throughout an look on “Not Gonna Lie” with Kylie Kelce, Duff mirrored on her early conversations with the Sports Illustrated staff and revealed she had one main request. “It was nice to have conversations with them and be like, ‘Hey, I’m not going to put on a bikini,’” Duff defined.

The previous Disney Channel star mentioned motherhood performed a giant position in how she approached the shoot. “Like, I’ve had 4 children. I really feel snug exhibiting this. I don’t really feel snug exhibiting this,” she continued, including that the journal staff was instantly understanding. “And so they’re like, ‘Bought it. Bought it. Bought it.’”

Duff Admits Her First Response Was Panic

Whereas the quilt in the end turned a confidence enhance, Duff admitted her first response to the chance was far much less glamorous. The actress mentioned she discovered she landed the quilt whereas driving to choose up her children from college, and immediately started second-guessing herself. “My first response was like, ‘Sh-t. I believed I’d get in, like, rip-roaring form,’” Duff admitted. “And I’m additionally like, I’m not a mannequin. I’m 5’2. I’ve had 4 children.”

What in the end eased her nerves, nevertheless, was the setting on set. Based on Duff, the shoot was largely female-led, and she or he was surrounded by a trusted glam staff that helped her really feel snug all through the expertise. “The editor-in-chief is unbelievable. The photographer was who I needed. It received to be my complete styling staff, my hair and make-up,” she mentioned. “They needed me to really feel my greatest.”

Hilary Duff Says Motherhood Modified How She Sees Her Physique

Duff posed for the quilt in a plunging white one-piece swimsuit whereas capturing in South Caicos for photographer Kat Irlin. Although the shoot was fast-paced, going down throughout a whirlwind one-day journey on the evening of the Tremendous Bowl, Duff described the expertise as releasing.

“My physique’s labored actually exhausting for me and produced a complete household,” she mentioned, earlier than additionally admitting that every being pregnant has helped her discover extra peace with the bodily modifications that include motherhood, saying she’s discovered “slightly bit extra ease” within the course of.

Duff shares the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cowl alongside Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish, and Nicole Williams English.

Duff Is Additionally Getting into A New Period Of Music

The Sports Illustrated milestone comes throughout a serious comeback yr for Duff. Earlier this yr, the actress launched her sixth studio album, “Luck … Or One thing,” marking her first new album in additional than a decade.

Subsequent month, Duff is ready to launch her international “The Fortunate Me Tour,” the place followers can anticipate a mixture of nostalgic favorites and brand-new tracks. “I’m so excited for the size to vary,” Duff instructed PEOPLE. “There’s something so candy about attending to see everybody’s face, and being so intimate and shut with everybody, and it was actually an effective way for me to start out and construct confidence.”

She continued, “However I simply really feel like I do know what I’m doing and type of received my reps in. Now I’m prepared for extra. I’m prepared for my set record to vary. I’m able to shock individuals with a number of the songs that I’m going to be singing and my new music.”

Hilary Duff Says Her Outdated Hits Nonetheless Imply All the pieces To Followers

Throughout her “Small Rooms, Huge Nerves” tour, Duff carried out fan-favorite hits like “Wake Up,” “So Yesterday,” “With Love,” “Why Not,” and “Come Clear.” She additionally carried out “What Goals Are Manufactured from” from “The Lizzie McGuire Film” dwell for the primary time.

“What’s been so enjoyable concerning the dwell reveals is realizing how a lot the outdated songs imply to individuals,” Duff mentioned. “Lots of these songs simply dwell rent-free in my head, so it’ll be good for the opposite music to catch up and be a part of the combination.”