Ashley Tisdale’s honest essay in The Cut in January 2026 caused a lot of talk. In it, she explained why she left a “toxic” mom group that felt like high school mean-girl vibes. She said she was left out of hangouts, saw group photos on Instagram without being invited, and finally texted the group, “This is too high school for me, and I don’t want to be part of it anymore.”
Fans quickly guessed that stars like Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor were in the unnamed group. This was based on Tisdale’s old Instagram stories from baby music classes with them.
On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Duff finally talked about the essay. She said she was “taken aback” and “really sad” about the timing and public fallout. She said it was a hard read for everyone involved because she is a mom of four and has a lot of friends.
Earlier, her husband Matthew Koma shot back with a shady social media post calling Tisdale the “most self-obsessed tone-deaf person on earth” and putting himself in her picture to add to the rumors. Later, Duff said that she doesn’t censor him, which shows how real the family dynamic is in the ongoing conversation.
Tisdale’s representative denied any direct connections to specific stars and said that her essay was more of a general call for healthy friendships between moms that grow over time. The drama shows how hard it is for celebrities to be parents, and many people like how honest Tisdale is about setting limits.
