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'Can't wait for the internet to call me a child abuser...again': Hilary Duff pierces her 7-month-old daughter's ears

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Hilary Duff is a step ahead of the haters.

The 34-year-old mom of three took to her Instagram story on Sunday to reveal that she pierced the ears off her 7-month-old daughter, Mae.

And in an attempt to get ahead of any backlash, she sarcastically said she's looking forward to shamers.

"Yes, I pierced her ears today," Duff wrote to her more than 18 million followers. "Can't wait for the internet to call be a child abuser... Again. Let's go!" she added.

Duff's anticipation of criticism doesn't come as a surprise. In 2019, critics had a lot to say about the "Younger" star having her then-eight-month-old daughter's ears pierced.

"Oh and yes we pierced her ears," she captioned a black and white photo of her holding her daughter, Banks, at the time. That let to some commenters arguing that piercing a baby's ears is "abusive" — because they are unable to consent.

"Just wondering how she gave you consent to pierce her ears?" one person commented, threatening to unfollow the actress.

Another called Duff out for inflicting "unnecessary pain" on an infant, adding that it could be considered "child abuse."

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"Babies are beautiful, why would they need their ears piercing?" another asked.

"I just don't really understand the point of piercing a baby's ears," someone else said, accusing Duff of piercing her daughter's ears to affirm her gender. "Babies don't need to be styled — they're babies. Let kids be kids and then they can decide if they wanna pierce their ears later on. Like, why put them through pain when they literally can't understand, all just so that people will stop mistaking your daughter for a boy."

"I’m shocked by anyone who does this, that’s my opinion that people who do disregard medical advice and are negligent. Sorry if you don’t agree but I’d never risk a child over something like piercings."

However, many fans rushed to her defence, calling it "harmless" and urging Duff to ignore the "needless" criticism.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong, with piercing a baby's ears," one Instagram user commented.

"So many people should mind their own business because I can bet if someone criticized you and your parenting, you would fly off the wall," wrote another.

"Got my bubs ears pierced at 3-months old and she didn't even wake from her sleep — not one single problem with them. She's now older and has never had an issue. She can always take them out if she hates them."

It seems like Duff may have avoided critics this time — at least for now.

Duff has two daughters, Banks Violet, 3, and Mae James, 7-months, who she shares with her husband, Matthew Koma, and a son, Luca Cruz, 9, who she shares with ex-husband, Mike Comrie.

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