Hilary Duff Defends Joel Madden Romance as They Become Friends  4/16/07

Pop star Hilary Duff is back on speaking terms with her ex-boyfriend after he left her devastated by ending their lengthy romance last November (06) and started dating Nicole Richie.

Duff, 19, had a miserable Christmas (06) as she recovered from the split but recently met up with Madden backstage at MTV show Total Request Live and now enjoys regular email correspondence from her ex.

She says, "Joel was my boyfriend for two years and I loved him - he was a very important part of my life... We e-mail all the time now and are at a really good place."

And, despite fans' concerns that tattooed rocker Madden was the wrong type of guy for the teen pop idol, Duff insists the Good Charlotte singer was the perfect boyfriend for her.

She adds, "People thought we were an unlikely couple, but we really weren't that different. After two months, I didn't even see his tattoos anymore, because that's not who he is.

"He used to say, 'I don't think there are too many people out there who really get you, but I do.' And he did. I could be stupid, silly, funny, or crazy, and he got it.

"He gave me a sense of confidence and independence I didn't have before."