High School Musical alum Ashley Tisdale has spoken out about what she described as a “toxic” celebrity mom group that left her feeling excluded and emotionally drained.
In a candid essay, the actress, 40 said the experience mirrored “mean-girl behavior” and “high school” dynamics that ultimately prompted her to walk away from the group.
While she avoided naming names directly, the fallout has sparked intense discussion after fans noticed social media unfollows and resurfaced past comments praising the group’s closeness.
Ashley Tisdale claimed that the mom group made her feel “not cool enough”
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Ashley Tisdale opened up about her experience in a personal essay published on The Cut, explaining that she slowly realized she was being left out of the group’s hangouts and conversations.
She recalled nights spent alone after putting her daughter to bed, questioning what she had done wrong to be excluded.
“Here I was sitting alone one night after getting my daughter to bed, thinking, Maybe I’m not cool enough? All of a sudden, I was in high school again, feeling totally lost as to what I was doing ‘wrong’ to be left out,” Tisdale wrote in her essay.
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The actress described feeling “totally lost” and emotionally worn down as she noticed social media posts showing group gatherings she hadn’t been invited to. Over time, she said the pattern made it clear that she wasn’t truly part of the mom group’s dynamic.
Eventually, Tisdale said she confronted the situation directly, texting the group that the behavior felt too immature and that she no longer wanted to participate.
“This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore,” Tisdale wrote in her message.
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The High School Musical alum stated that some members of the mom group tried to do damage control, and others even tried to convince her that she was the one who was not attending the group’s gatherings.
Tisdale said cliques and private group chats within the mom group eventually crossed a line
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Tisdale explained that what hurt her most wasn’t a single incident, but the ongoing pattern of exclusion from the group.
She said she discovered group text chains that didn’t include everyone, which led to cliques forming within the larger circle.
After repeatedly seeing photos of the group spending time together without her, she said it became impossible to ignore the message being sent.
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The actress emphasized that while she didn’t view most of the moms as bad people, the overall dynamic had stopped being healthy or positive.
She ultimately chose to distance herself for her own well-being, describing the environment as emotionally exhausting rather than supportive.
“To be clear, I have never considered the moms to be bad people. (Maybe one.) But I do think our group dynamic stopped being healthy and positive — for me, anyway,” Tisdale wrote.
Tisdale’s social media unfollows added fuel to fans’ speculations
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While Tisdale never publicly named members of the celebrity mom group, fans quickly began connecting the dots.
She no longer follows Hilary Duff or Mandy Moore on Instagram, though she still follows Meghan Trainor, Page Six reported.
Representatives for Duff, Moore, and Trainor did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Tisdale’s essay.
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Adding to the buzz, fashion designer Samii Ryan, who has been linked to the celebrity mom group, shared a pointed Instagram Story shortly after Tisdale’s essay went viral.
Ryan’s post, which was captioned “2026 mood,” featured lyrics from Megan Thee Stallion’s rap anthem Her, according to Page Six.
“I don’t care if these b**ches don’t like me, ’cause, like, I’m pretty as f**k,” the track noted. “Just the other day, I heard a h* say. Matter of fact, what could a h* say? With a face like this and a b**ch this paid, s**t, what could a h* say?”
Tisdale’s mom group has been previously described as close knit and supportive
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The contrast between Tisdale’s account and past public comments from others in the celebrity mom group has stood out to many netizens.
Hillary Duff previously spoke warmly about having a tight-knit group of mom friends who were “in the trenches” together.
“I feel like our big connection to one another, even though we’re pop stars or on TV, is we love our kids. They were little baby worms when we all first got together and started music class at my house.
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“Now, we’re in art class together, and we’re in gymnastics class together, and we’re just, like, moms,” Duff said.
Mandy Moore had also described feeling “grateful” to be part of what she called a “cool mom club,” saying she had formed meaningful friendships through the group.
“Somehow, I got invited into it and it’s the best,” she said. “I’ve made so many wonderful friends.”
Netizens shared their thoughts about Ashley Tisdale’s mom group drama on social media
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