Mandy Moore 'Forever Grateful' to Hilary Duff for Housing Family (EXCL)
Mandy Moore lost her Altadena house in the wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area in January and now she couldn’t be more grateful that her good friend Hilary Duff has offered her and her family shelter following the tragedy. A source exclusively tells Life and Style she’s leaning on the Disney alum more than ever while working on rebuilding her life from top to bottom.
“Mandy is absolutely heartbroken right now, not just for her own loss but also for the intense suffering she sees all around her,” the insider says. “So many people she knows have lost everything, it’s hard to put into words what she’s going through.”
Hilary, 37, and her husband Matthew Koma opened her own home to Mandy, 40, and the rest of her family after the fire. The “Candy” singer’s brother-in-law, Griffin Goldsmith, who lived just a few doors down from Mandy and also lost his house, posted a heartfelt thank you message via Instagram that read, “All of this so overwhelming. But what is as equally overwhelming is the amount of love and generosity we are on the receiving end of. Our dear friends [Matthew] and [Hilary] thought it wise to set up a gofundme for us to help with everything moving forward. Not to mention they are currently housing my brother’s family.”
“They’ve taken care of my entire family from the moment this began,” he added. “I will never be able to thank them adequately. This is the kindest act any human could do for another. They are the most beautiful, selfless people we’ve ever known.”
The source says that, for the heartbroken actress, who has three small children with husband Taylor Goldsmith, “having Hilary to lean on has been such a Godsend.”
Mandy is of some means, to be sure. As an actress and singer she’s racked up an estimated net worth of $14 million, though much of it may be tied up in a now-burnt down house.
“Sure she and her family could go to a hotel no problem,” the source continues, “but being with Hilary is just so much better, not just because of the privacy it offers them but also because Hilary is such a light.”
Both Hilary and Mandy have had similar career arcs – starting as child stars and then going on to more movie and television acting, while also releasing music along the way. They identify with each other and, as Mandy struggles to comfort her family, Hilary has proven to be a rock she can rely on.
“She’s able to make it feel like a fun vacation for the kids, instead of a scary and destabilizing time,” the source explains. “They are having family meals together and lots of play time and just having Hilary there to talk to and lean on and cry with has been so incredibly helpful.”
“Mandy says she will be forever grateful to Hilary for stepping in to help, she can’t imagine how much harder this would be if she hadn’t opened up her home to them.”