The Truth Behind the Relationship Between Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, and Mandy Moore
The ongoing “toxic mom group” saga involving Ashley Tisdale French, Hilary Duff, and Mandy Moore has captured considerable attention online this week.
“The main issue stemmed from the fact that some members of the group formed closer bonds, which left Ashley feeling somewhat sidelined,” a source shared exclusively with Us Weekly. “There were spontaneous gatherings and outings that Ashley wasn’t invited to. There was no malicious intent; friendships simply evolved, and some women connected more than others.”
The source noted that French, 40, began to feel “less included” but stressed that the others did not intend to exclude her.
French gained significant attention this week after publishing an essay in The Cut, titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” on January 1. In her piece, the High School Musical star candidly shared her feelings of exclusion from her mom friends and the decision to leave the group.
“Some felt that she was overreacting to situations. The tension largely emerged from differing priorities and values within the group,” the source elaborated. “Ashley sensed she was missing out on bonding moments.”
Moreover, the source mentioned “ongoing miscommunications and subtle tensions” among French, Duff, 38, and Moore, 41, which “accumulated over time.”
“Hilary and Mandy share a close bond, along with Kelsey Deenihan (their makeup artist) and a few others, which undoubtedly shaped the group’s dynamics,” the source remarked. “This sometimes made Ashley feel like she was on the outside looking in.”
Regarding French’s well-being after leaving the group, a second insider shared that the Disney Channel alum “relocated primarily to Malibu and is feeling more at peace than ever.”
“It’s been a refreshing change for her, and she is definitely in a better place,” the insider concluded.
Us Weekly reached out to representatives for French, Duff, and Moore.
French has not yet publicly commented on the buzz surrounding her essay, which followed a previous blog post on the topic.
“One recent topic has caused my phone to explode more than any other since I first spoke about it a few weeks ago. It’s a subject that has resonated with many women who have reached out to share their own emotional experiences,” French wrote. “It’s also prompted some amateur detectives to try and uncover the story, like they’re in a CSI episode (please don’t bother — your assumptions are far from the truth). The topic? Mom-group drama.”
Ashley, who has daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 15 months, with husband Christopher French, recounted her feelings of exclusion, stating, “I kept telling myself it was just in my head, that it wasn’t significant. Still, I felt a growing distance from the other members, who didn’t seem to realize or care about my absence.”
Ashley eventually informed the group, “This feels too much like high school for me, and I no longer wish to participate.”
Although Ashley didn’t specify anyone in her essay, it was known that she socialized with a mom group that included Moore, Duff, and Meghan Trainor. Fans started to speculate that these celebrity moms were the “mean girls” mentioned, but a spokesperson for Ashley denied that the essay was written about them, as per a statement to TMZ. The spokesperson also dismissed rumors that the discord stemmed from political disagreements.
Despite the denial, Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, responded to the essay with an Instagram Story featuring a photo of himself mimicking French’s cover photo for The Cut, titling his fictional piece, “A mom group tell-all through a father’s eyes. When you’re the most self-absorbed, tone-deaf person on earth, other moms tend to focus on their actual toddlers.”
