HOLLYWOOD -- Hilary Duff insists she didn't intentionally set out to incur the wrath of Avril Lavigne.

The singers, who both attended last month's MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, have been locked in a war of words criticizing each other's images.

"Of course I saw Avril at the MuchMusic Awards. I see her all the time at events, but we've never actually met so we have never talked to each other," says Duff.

"I don't think we've ever purposely avoided each other. These kind of events don't lend themselves to socializing."

Duff takes credit for having started the verbal feud between herself and Lavigne.

"I think I'm a pretty nice person, but I guess I said something one time that wasn't very nice and it upset Avril," the young star says.

Duff had read an article about the Canadian songstress in which Lavigne admonished her fans for copying her dress and mannerisms.

"Avril essentially told her fans to find their own style," Duff says.

"What I said was that celebrities should embrace their fans looking up to them instead of trying to push them away with such remarks."

Duff insists she "didn't intend to be mean about it.

"I just think Avril took it the wrong way," she says.

"She turned around and called me a 'goody-goody,' which really was mean spirited.

"I apologized and I'm genuinely sorry that I upset her because I totally respect her and totally love her music."

Duff who is promoting her new movie A Cinderella Story, which opens July 16, says she is used to having things in her life blown out of proportion.

"If I have a little, tiny harsh conversation with someone, what should it matter?" she says.

"It wouldn't matter in normal circumstances, but when I have a movie coming out or she has an awesome album or single out there, it's like everyone turns an innocent remark into this huge thing.

"It's so stupid and it's hurtful."

Duff says she's not looking for unconditional adoration.

"I think it's really great that people love me and that some people hate me," she says.

"I see it all the time and it's great that people have their opinions.

"A lot of people love my music and a lot of people hate my music. That's to be expected.

"It's just that I think sometimes people can be a little too mean-spirited and that's just a waste of energy.