Hilary Duff Opens Up About Her Relationship With Joel Madden

Hilary Duff's interview in April's Cosmopolitan  is proving to be quite revelatory. In the first round of quotes released, the actress shared her views on relationships now that she's getting divorced. "I don't know if people are meant to be together forever," Duff told the magazine. Now, the full story is out, and it contains variations on the same theme: that Duff is now a full-blown adult. She discusses having what the magazine refers to as an "eff buddy" as well as her relationship with rocker Joel Madden, whom Duff dated from the age of 16 to 19.  "I had a 26-year-old boyfriend, so everyone can make their own assumptions about what I was doing," Duff said about the constant questions she gets regarding when she lost her virginity. She doesn't directly come out and say that she and Madden were having sex, or that he was her first, but the implication is there.  As for the old "eff buddy" (way to sugarcoat it, Cosmo), Duff highly recommends having a top-secret friend with benefits. "I think everyone should have something where you know it’s not exactly what you’re looking for, but you just have a wicked good time. That was freeing for me and a bit of an awakening. It’s fun to have a secret."  All of these experiences have helped Duff demonstrate to people that she's all grown up. "I don’t have to prove to people that I’m an adult now. I am an adult," she told Cosmo. (Were people really doubting that? She was married and has a 2-year-old son.) Despite the public's perception of her as an eternal teenager who always erred on the good side, Duff never really felt the need to rebel. "It’s frustrating to be put in a box, but I never needed to wild out to show that I’m grown-up," she said. Instead, she's coming clean now. Cue song! (Us Weekly)