Ashley Tisdale Opens Up About Leaving Her "Problematic" Mom Group, Sparking Celebrity Reactions

Ashley Tisdale French’s candid reflections on feeling excluded from a “problematic” group of mothers have garnered considerable attention from numerous fellow celebrities.

In January 2026, Ashley — who shares two daughters with her husband Christopher French — sparked discussion with an essay for The Cut entitled “Ending My Relationship With My Problematic Mom Group” as she openly recalled experiencing feelings of isolation from a group of friends.

“I recall being omitted from a few gatherings, and I was aware of them because Instagram consistently showed me every single photo and Instagram Story,” she wrote. “I began to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they appeared to exclude me. … I initially told myself it was all in my imagination, and it wasn’t a significant issue. However, I could sense a growing distance between me and the other members of the group, who seemed to not even notice that I wasn’t around much.”

Ashley stated that the group eventually became “too reminiscent of high school” for her, adding, “To be clear, I have never considered these mothers to be bad people. (Perhaps one.) But I do believe our group dynamic ceased to be healthy and positive — at least for me, anyway.”

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While the actress didn’t name any individuals specifically in her essay, speculation quickly arose online that she was potentially referring to Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff, who frequently spent time with Ashley and other Hollywood mothers. A representative for Ashley subsequently denied that Moore and Duff were involved despite the High School Musical alum no longer following them on social media.

Chelsea Handler and Christy Carlson Romano have since shared their perspectives on the matter — as has Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma.

Continue reading to see which stars have publicly commented on the situation:

Chelsea Handler

After receiving an explanation about Ashley’s now-viral essay on Page Six Radio, Handler offered her thoughts, saying, “I don’t know what transpired, but I know Mandy Moore and she’s a wonderful, kind person. So I’ll just say that. But I don’t really know Ashley Tisdale.”

Handler clarified that she had no understanding of what might have occurred between the three women.

“And I don’t say it with negativity in the way I just phrased it,” she insisted. “But I don’t know Ashley Tisdale, so I want to be upfront. And I do like Meghan Trainor, as well.”

Handler also noted that she was glad to have “never” been part of a mom group. “It sounds dreadful. That’s another reason not to have children. To have to deal with that kind of dynamic and being left out again as an adult woman. No, thank you.”

Christy Carlson Romano

“Observing celebrity mom drama from outside the group is fascinating,” Romano wrote via Instagram before adding in her caption that she was “staying out of it.”

“I don’t identify as a celebrity. I think I’m a public figure, but I never refer to myself as a celeb,” the former Disney Channel actress, who shares two children with her husband Brendan Rooney, said in a separate Instagram video. “I think mom groups are really valuable for people when they first have their baby.”

She continued: “I think it connects you with a certain type of community to help you navigate postpartum hormones and things like that. I think it’s really beneficial, [and] that’s why mommy-and-me classes exist. … If that dynamic shifts, then simply find another group of friends. But, I understand. Sometimes it gets a little complicated — and then you write an article about it.”

Haylie Duff

Us Weekly confirmed that Haylie, who had previously experienced a disagreement with her sister Hilary, “liked” a joint Instagram post shared by Ashley and The Cut promoting the essay.

“ABANDON YOUR TOXIC FRIENDS IN 2026, says @ashleytisdalefrench,” the post read. “For #ItsBeenAYear, the actress, beauty founder, and mother details leaving her mom group, where the competition between women mirrored their children’s playground behavior. Read the story of how it all unfolded, in her own words, at the link in bio.”

Matthew Koma’s Best Satirical Moments: Response to Ashley Tisdale and More

Matthew Koma

Hilary’s husband uploaded a humorous image of himself on the cover of The Cut with a mock headline that read, “A mom group exposé through a father’s perspective: When You’re the Most Self-Absorbed and Tone-Deaf Person Around, Other Moms Tend to Shift Focus to Their Actual Toddlers.”

Christopher French

Ashley’s husband, meanwhile, posted to his Instagram Story a message from graphic designer Tyler Spangler. “It’s your decision whether or not to participate,” the enigmatic message read.

Meghan Trainor

Trainor is reportedly a member of Tisdale’s mom group alongside Hilary and Moore.

“Me discovering the apparent mom group drama,” she wrote via TikTok alongside footage of herself typing at a computer.

Trainor set her upload to her song “Still Don’t Care,” perhaps suggesting her attitude about Tisdale sharing the details.

Daryl Sabara

Trainor’s husband also commented on the apparent drama.

“No drama over here, just trying to keep the kids happy,” Sabara told TMZ shortly after Trainor spoke out, referring to their two sons. “I don’t really know what’s going on. I hope she’s okay, though.”

Francia Raisa

Raisa starred alongside Hilary in Hulu’s short-lived How I Met Your Father and also weighed in on the drama.

In a TikTok video, she sat in a car and pretended to do a monologue from She’s the Man, lip-synching, “Speaking as a completely objective third-party outsider with absolutely no personal interest in the matter, I am not sure that you and Olivia really mesh well together.”

She captioned her post, “Not a mom but… #fyp #thecut.”

Willa Ford

Pop singer Willa Ford spoke out in defense of makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan and businesswoman Janice Gott, two of her friends who have spent time with Ashley’s former mom group.

“Kelsey and Janice are loyal friends. I went through a divorce. These were women who were by my side, who are wonderful people in general, not just in the industry,” Ford said on Page Six Radio. “My girlfriends didn’t deserve this. They’re not actresses. Their faces didn’t deserve to be plastered.”

Ford also said that she has met Ashley, who is “so lovely.”

“Everybody has always been nice to me and wonderful to me, so I don’t know what happened [in the group],” she continued. “Mean things can happen. We can also make mistakes as people. Feeling left out is a real feeling. It’s unpleasant. We all know that. But I don’t know what happened and I do know two of those women really well and I know that bullying is not in their DNA. So I just feel like it would’ve been nice if the communication maybe could have been handled differently.”