Good Charlotte joined Hilary Duff onstage at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, August 5, hours after the Madden brothers' company Veeps cut staff across several US music journalism outlets, NME reported. Duff, headlining the venue as part of her 2026 tour, covered Good Charlotte's 2002 song The Anthem and brought out band members Joel and Benji Madden for the surprise collaboration.
Wearing a Good Charlotte band shirt, Duff asked the crowd to give the "warmest welcome" to her friends before hugging the two Maddens and launching into the cover.
Veeps, now part of Live Nation, laid off nearly all staff at BrooklynVegan, Alternative Press, Revolver and Goldmine, outlets that trace back decades: BrooklynVegan has published since 2004, Revolver since 2000, Goldmine since the 1970s and Alternative Press since 1985. NME said Veeps had held ownership of the titles for a year or two before the cuts, and that Pitchfork reported emails to BrooklynVegan staff bounced back except for those to founder Dave Levine.
Duff and Joel Madden dated for a couple of years starting in 2004, when he was 25 and she was 16; since their 2006 split the two have stayed on good terms, and Duff has posted photos with her husband, Matthew Koma, alongside the Maddens and Joel's wife, Nicole Richie.
NME said it had reached out to both Veeps and Live Nation for comment on the layoffs.
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The facts
- Good Charlotte joined Hilary Duff for a surprise Madison Square Garden set on August 5
- The gig came hours after mass layoffs at BrooklynVegan, Alternative Press, Revolver and Goldmine
- The layoffs were carried out by Veeps, run by the Madden brothers and now part of Live Nation
- Duff and Good Charlotte performed a cover of The Anthem
- Duff and Joel Madden dated from 2004 to 2006, starting when he was 25 and she was 16
- BrooklynVegan has published since 2004, Alternative Press since 1985
- NME said it had asked Veeps and Live Nation for comment
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