Becca Tobin Weighs In on Hilary Duff and Ashley Tisdale's Mom Group Drama
Becca Tobin has offered her perspective on the ongoing dispute between Hilary Duff and her longtime friend Ashley Tisdale French.
The former Glee actress, 39, responded to Duff’s husband Matthew Koma’s provocative online post criticizing French and her recent essay about challenging dynamics within parenting circles. Koma, 38, playfully mocked French’s article on Tuesday, January 6, by sharing a photo accompanied by a fabricated article of his own.
“A father’s account of navigating motherhood through a group setting,” Koma’s satirical post read. “When you’re perceived as overly self-focused and out of touch, other mothers tend to prioritize their children’s needs.”
Koma’s reaction quickly gained widespread attention and circulated across various online platforms. On Wednesday, January 7, in the comments section of a Threads post discussing Koma’s post, Tobin simply replied, “That’s concerning.”
Mandy Moore Defends Matthew Koma Amid Ashley Tisdale Mom Group Controversy
Tobin and French have maintained a close friendship for several years. French previously appeared as a guest on Tobin’s “Lady Gang” podcast in 2019.
French recently became a subject of discussion after The Cut published her article titled “Ending My Involvement with a Problematic Mom Group,” detailing her decision to distance herself from her former parenting group after experiencing feelings of exclusion. (French was notably part of a collective that included Duff, Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor and others.)
“I recall instances where I was excluded from gatherings, and I became aware of them through constant updates on Instagram, including photos and Stories,” she wrote. “I began to feel like an outsider, noticing every way they seemed to intentionally leave me out. … I initially dismissed it as my own insecurities, believing it wasn’t a significant issue. However, I could sense a growing separation between me and the other members of the group, who appeared indifferent to my absence.”
French shared that she communicated her feelings to the group, stating that she told them it felt “too reminiscent of high school, and I no longer wish to participate.”
“It’s important to clarify that I don’t view the other mothers as inherently bad people. (Perhaps one.) But I do believe our group dynamic ceased to be healthy and positive — at least for me,” she wrote.
French’s representative subsequently informed TMZ that the essay was not specifically about Duff, Moore and Trainor’s mom group.
Following the viral spread of French’s article, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Duff, 38, and Moore, 41, were taken aback by the piece.
“They all feel surprised and hurt by Ashley speaking out in this manner,” an insider told Us. “From their perspective, they believed the group was supportive and well-intentioned, and they never anticipated any negative feelings behind how events unfolded.”
While Tobin expressed disapproval of Koma’s post, the musician did receive support from his and Duff’s close circle. Moore publicly praised Koma, who provided support at her recent benefit concert in Los Angeles commemorating the one-year anniversary of the devastating Palisades fires.
“This feels particularly appropriate as @matthewkoma happens to be one of the most gifted and generous individuals I’m fortunate to know (he even offered my family a place to stay one year ago today when we were forced to evacuate),” Moore wrote via her Instagram Story while reposting Koma’s clip from the event. “Love you, MB!!”
