A Southern delicacy, cow testicles are often served at rodeos or similar events, usually after being coated in flour, seasoned, and deep fried.

Hilary Duff reveals how her parents tricked her into eating cow testicles as a kid: ‘Devastated’

A Southern delicacy, cow testicles are often served at rodeos or similar events, usually after being coated in flour, seasoned, and deep fried.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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February 22, 2026 9:00 a.m. ET

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Hilary Duff attends Vogue World: Hollywood 2025. Credit:

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Hilary Duff has some fond memories of getting to play the Houston Rodeo in her youth, and some *not* so fond memories of the occasion.

While being interviewed by her son, Luca, 13, for *Billboard*, Duff was asked by her eldest child if she had a standout career moment or memory. "I have two," the *Lizzie McGuire *star shared. "I think when I was younger, I played the Houston Rodeo and I'm from Houston, and it was 100,000 people-plus. Like huge, huge, huge. I don't really remember the performance part, but I do remember they put you in a car and drive you around the arena to wave to everybody and it just smells like cow manure and dirt."

After explaining to Luca, whom she joked was such "an L.A. boy," how rodeos work, she added with a knowing look, "And my parents used to feed me calf fries. You ever heard of that?"

"Calf fries?" her son asked, confused. "Yeah, and they told me they were chicken fingers. They were not."

Luca then offered a guess that the snack was "baby calf," which prompted the "Mature" singer to eventually tell him, "It's a portion of the calf... balls. And I ate them and I thought they were chicken tenders."

"Oh, that's nasty, that's disgusting," he said, before asking his mom if she was "angry or what" at her parents for the trick.

"Devasted. How would you feel?" she replied. "I wouldn't feel good if you lied to me and made me eat calf fries," he offered.

A Southern delicacy, cow testicles are often served at rodeos or similar events, usually after being coated in flour, seasoned, and deep fried. Other nicknames for the snack include Rocky Mountain oysters, prairie oysters, cowboy caviar, or Montana tenders.

Luca Comrie and Hilary Duff pose at Second Stage Theatre's new play 'The Cult of Love' in 2024.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

The unusual food offerings aside, Duff said she considers playing the venue a "standout moment in [her] young life" because "I felt really proud to do that in my hometown."

Duff, who is gearing up to release *Luck... Or Something*, her first new album since 2015's *Breathe In. Breathe Out.*, said that her recent comeback performances are the other standout career moments for her.

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"As an adult, a standout moment, I know it was small, but the underplays that I just did," she said. "Going back into it meant so much to me. Going back into it, feeling the support. It was really, I keep saying a warm welcome, but it was. It was so nice. And I feel like my shoulders dropped like 3 inches and I was just like it's going to be okay."

*Luck... Or Something *releases Friday. Duff heads out on the Lucky Me Tour, which is her sixth concert tour and first full world tour in 18 years starting in June in West Palm Beach, Fla. It is scheduled to conclude on Feb. 12, 2027, in Mexico City, Mexico.

Watch Luca interview his famous mom above.**

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