Duff and Moore Reportedly Upset by Tisdale's Mom Group Essay

Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore reportedly wish that Ashley Tisdale French hadn’t shared her experiences publicly in her recently viral essay detailing her departure from a “problematic” group of mothers.

“They are all reportedly shocked and upset by Ashley’s decision to speak out in this manner,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly regarding the circle of friends. “From their perspective, they believed the group was supportive and intended to be helpful, and they never imagined there would be any negative intentions behind how things unfolded.”

The source notes that the group felt like “issues that could have been resolved privately were instead made public, which made them feel unfairly represented.”

“The mothers maintain that there was no ‘bullying’ behavior and assert that they were genuinely trying to support one another during a particularly vulnerable period in all of their lives,” the source shares.

Matthew Koma and Other Stars React to Ashley Tisdale's Mom Group Situation

Us Weekly reached out to Duff, Moore and French’s representatives for comment.

Although she didn’t name any individuals, French, 40, made headlines on January 1 with her essay for The Cut, in which she wrote about feeling left out by a group of mothers in California. (The High School Musical star shares daughter Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 15 months, with husband Christopher French.)

“I recall being excluded from a couple of gatherings, and I was aware of them because Instagram constantly showed me every single photo and Instagram Story,” she wrote in the article. “I began to feel like I was being shut out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.”

She continued, “I told myself it was all in my head, 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 indifferent to my absence.”

Ashley explained that she was then excluded from another event and subsequently sent a text stating that the group felt “too superficial” for her, which “didn’t receive a positive response.”

“Some of the others attempted to mend the situation,” Ashley wrote. “One sent flowers, then ignored me when I expressed my gratitude for them. … To be clear, I have never considered the mothers to be bad people. (Perhaps one.) But I do believe our group dynamic ceased to be healthy and positive — at least for me.”

As news of the story spread, social media users began speculating that Ashley was referring to her friendships with Duff, 38, Moore, 41, and other celebrities.

Days later, Ashley’s representative denied the rumors. The representative also stated in a Monday, January 5, TMZ statement that Ashley hoped to highlight a concern that other women and mothers could relate to.

Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, added his perspective to the essay by promoting a fabricated article with The Cut.

“A mom group tell-all through a father’s perspective,” Koma, 38, wrote via his Instagram Story on Tuesday, January 6. “When you’re the most self-absorbed and insensitive person in the world, other mothers tend to shift their focus to their actual toddlers.”

That same day, Ashley’s husband Christopher, 44, shared a seemingly pointed cryptic quote via his Instagram Story, which read, “It’s your choice whether or not to participate.”