Being a mum is tough enough, but imagine dealing with mean-girl drama on top of sleepless nights and the school run. That's exactly what Ashley Tisdale says happened to her, prompting her to walk away from a celebrity mum circle she once thought of as her safe space. As fans speculate about who else was in this exclusive group, the story has taken over both Hollywood gossip and online parenting chats.
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Ashley Tisdale reveals why she quit her celeb mum circle
At first, Ashley Tisdale thought she'd struck gold: right after welcoming her daughter during the pandemic, she found a group of mums from her Hollywood circle, all navigating similar life changes. These women—rumoured by fans to include Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor—seemed to offer exactly the support she'd missed out on by skipping prenatal meetups. For a while, it felt like she'd landed her dream "mum village", swapping parenting tips and enjoying baby-friendly brunches.
But things took a turn. In an emotional essay published by The Cut, Ashley confides how the group dynamics shifted:
“At first, I felt so lucky to have found them. But slowly, I realised I was being left out.”
She explains feeling excluded from key events—including outings and dinners—without a clear reason. Sometimes she’d only learn of an event after glimpsing social media posts, while at other times the rejections were delivered with flimsy excuses.
One particularly hurtful moment sticks in her mind: the group organised a girls’ day out on the same day as her daughter's birthday but didn't invite her at all.
“It hit me like high school all over again,” she shares.
Ashley soon found herself questioning if she was 'cool enough' for the clique and reliving the insecurities of her teenage years.
'Mean girls' vibes, digital drama and the final straw
Determined to address the issue, Ashley confronted the group through a message. She’d had enough of whispering group chats, private message chains and inside jokes. “This is too high school for me,” she declared, formally bowing out. Not all the responses she got were negative—a couple of mums reached out to try and patch things up, but Ashley says these gestures felt half-hearted.
Interestingly, the digital world noticed changes too. Reports appeared noting that Ashley no longer follows Hilary Duff or Mandy Moore on Instagram, though Meghan Trainor is apparently still on her list. Does unfollowing signal a deeper divide? Fans are quick to analyse every social move, fuelling speculation about who was truly involved and how bitter things really got.
Despite it all, Ashley insists she's not on bad terms with every single member. “I don’t think they’re all bad people—just one or maybe two,” she clarifies about the group. Elsewhere, Duff and Moore have painted a positive picture of the group dynamic, with Duff telling People in December 2024, “I’ve loved having this group in my life,” and Moore telling InStyle in May 2022, “I cherish the bond we've built.” No comments have come directly from their spokespeople since Ashley’s essay dropped.
The mumternet reacts: empathy, outrage, and a bigger conversation
Ashley’s story instantly struck a nerve online. Messages from fellow mums poured in, many sharing that they'd experienced the same exclusion and little acts of meanness. The fact she dared to speak out—even calling her experience “toxic”—gave others permission to re-examine their own friend circles. The buzz even pushed parenting sites and tabloids to discuss the wider issue of 'mean girl' antics among mums, and how damaging that can be.
Ashley’s takeaway? Even if “motherhood is already hard enough,” it should never be complicated by feeling left out or judged. She urges others not to settle for friendships that don’t offer genuine support. Her final advice to fellow mums is crystal clear:
“Don’t waste time on people who don’t truly value you.”
Her transparency has opened up an important conversation about kindness, honesty and the pressures that even the most glamorous mums face—with or without red carpets.
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Sources used:
Ashley Tisdale Quits 'Toxic Mom' Friend Group, Including Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore
Ashley Tisdale exposes ‘toxic’ celeb mom group filled with ‘mean-girl behavior’ and ‘high school’-like isolation
Ashley Tisdale Explains Why She Left Celeb Mom Group with 'High School' Behavior That Left Her in Tears
Ashley Tisdale slams 'toxic' mom group after repeated exclusion
