Hilary Duff Celebrates Her Birthday With a Sunny Girls’ Trip to Puerto Vallarta
It has been a banner year for Hilary Duff. The actress and singer released her album ‘Luck… or Something’, led by the single ‘Roommates’, was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world, and landed the cover of the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
The milestones kept coming as Duff turned 39 on September 28. To mark the occasion, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit revisited her cover shoot in South Caicos, where photographer Kat Irlin captured her in a series of suits on the beach.
Now Duff is celebrating in person. On October 8, the star was photographed enjoying a belated birthday getaway with friends in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, soaking up the sun on the beach.
Duff was spotted strolling barefoot along the shoreline in a bright yellow cut-out one-piece swimsuit. She paired it with a green baseball cap and oversized sunglasses for a relaxed vacation look.
Hilary Duff is soaking up the sun! The singer celebrated her birthday with friends in Puerto Vallarta 💛 📸: BACKGRID https://t.co/Vr77qGHi6r
— Page Six (@PageSix) October 8, 2026
A purple bandana tucked into her cap added a playful pop of color. In several photos, she was seen chatting with friends near a beach club, appearing happy and at ease. The vibrant swimsuit made for a cheerful birthday statement. It also fit perfectly with the laid-back mood of a sunny day by the water.
Duff’s close friend Mandy Moore was reportedly among the group on the trip, though she does not appear in the beach photos. The pair share a special bond that deepened during the pandemic.
Hilary Duff spent her birthday on the beach in Puerto Vallarta with her friends. https://t.co/a4TRE9VZF4
— Thought Catalog (@ThoughtCatalog) October 8, 2026
At that time, Duff was expecting her 3rd child while Moore was pregnant with her 1st. Their husbands helped bring them together, as Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, admired the band Dawes, led by Moore’s husband, Taylor Goldsmith. Goldsmith even performed the 1st dance at Duff and Koma’s wedding. The couple married on December 21, 2019.
Duff has spoken openly about loving this stage of her life. Reflecting on her cover shoot, she said she loved being the age she was and was happy to have the moment documented, telling Sports Illustrated Swimsuit that the shoot was “such a fun experience and a great marker of time for my life.”
That celebratory mindset seems to be carrying over into her birthday trip. The proud mom of 4 appears to be enjoying some well-deserved downtime with the people closest to her. Duff also made sure her fans had something to celebrate. On October 2, she released ‘CATastrophe’, a song she co-wrote with Koma for Warner Bros.’ animated film ‘The Cat in the Hat’.
The release added yet another project to an already busy year. Between music, magazine covers and new soundtrack work, Duff has rarely slowed down. Born in Houston, Texas, Duff began performing at a young age alongside her sister, Haylie Duff.
She went on to build a career spanning acting, music and business ventures. Her latest year has shown just how enduring that career remains. And judging by her sunny Mexican getaway, she is heading into her next year in high spirits.
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