Ashley Tisdale Frenchthe old group of mothers is ready to move on after her viral essay about their alleged “toxic” dynamic turned all eyes on them.
“The moms who are left in the group don’t wish Ashey any ill will,” a source exclusively says Us Weekly.
The group of women, which many believe includes celebrities Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff i Meghan Trainor among others in the Los Angeles area, were “surprised” by the rehearsal, as they “thought the friendship was fading organically,” the source says.
“There was no big bang moment, so that it was a surprise to them,” adds the source.
The ‘toxic mom group’ drama between Ashley Tisdale French, Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore has taken the internet by storm this week. “The root of the trouble was that some of the women became closer friends with each other, and Ashley started to feel left out,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “There was (…)
As the world rang in the new year, French, 40, caused quite a stir by penning an essay titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group” for New York Magazine‘s the cut published on January 1.
In the piece, the former Disney Channel star recalled hearing “frozen out of the group” after being “left out of a couple of group uploads,” he saw it happen via social media recaps.
“I told myself it was all in my head, and it wasn’t a big deal,” French wrote, without naming anyone from the mothers’ group. “And yet I could feel a growing distance between me and the other members of the group, who didn’t even seem to care that I wasn’t very close.”
The Founder of Freshe noted that after being left out of a group event again, he texted the group that “this is too high school for me” and withdrew from the unit. (Ashley shares daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 16 monthswith the husband Christopher French.)
Ashley Tisdale French, Hilary Duff, Meghan Trainor and more mom friends.
Courtesy of Hilary Duff/InstagramAfter the story was published, fans began to speculate who Ashley was talking about. Many pointed out that Moore, 41, Duff, 38, and Trainor, 32, were part of a group of mothers with Ashley that originated in 2021 after they all welcomed the babies at the same time.
Ashley’s rep denied to TMZ that the three celebrities in question were who the actress was referring to in her essay. However, the rumors continued to circulate after eagle-eyed fans noticed that Ashley no longer follows Duff or Moore on Instagram.
“The root of the problems was that some of the women became closer friends with each other, and Ashley started to feel left out.” a source explained exclusively we on Thursday, January 8. “There were times when meet-ups or last-minute get-togethers were arranged, often casual outings or quick dinners, and Ashley wasn’t included. There was no ill intent. Friendships naturally changed and some people bonded more than others.”
Ashley Tisdale French raised eyebrows earlier this month when she revealed she left her “toxic” mom friend group nearly five years after bonding with the women over pregnancy and motherhood. “Here I was sitting alone one night after my daughter went to bed, thinking, ‘Maybe I’m not cool enough?'” Ashley, who shares daughters Jupiter, 4 (…)
The insider noted: “Hilary and Mandy are very close, along with Kelsey Deenihan (her makeup artist), who is in the group, and a few others, and that dynamic gave the group a natural shape.”
This bond allegedly “made Ashley feel like she didn’t quite fit in with him rest of the circle”, according to the source.
While Ashley’s comments made headlines, Duff’s husband, Matthew Butsounded in the drama. (Duff and Koma, 38, share daughters Banks, 7, Mae, 4, and Townes, 20 months. Duff also shares son Luca, 11, with ex-husband Mike Comrie.)
He mocked Ashley’s profile by sharing a photo of her a fake magazine cover with the headline: “A group of moms tells it all through a dad’s eyes: When you’re the most obsessed tone-deaf person on Earth, other moms tend to focus on their little ones.”
Ashley Tisdale French’s no-holds-barred comment about being kicked out of a “toxic” mom group has caught the attention of many celebrities. In January 2026, Ashley, who shares two daughters with husband Christopher French, raised eyebrows with an essay for The Cut titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group” as she candidly (…)
Trainor, who shares sons Riley, 4, and Barry, 2, with her husband Daryl Sabarahe also commented on the drama, denying that he had any part in what happened.
“Still trying to convince everyone that I’m not involved in mom group drama,” she wrote alongside on Tuesday January 13, TikTok clip from strange things in which one character tries to convince others that their friend is evil.
The singer also captioned the post, “I swear I’m innocent,” with a praying hands emoji.
While Moore hasn’t directly addressed Ashley’s essay, she did speak out on Wednesday, Jan. 14, about the friendship change.
Chelsea Handler has entered the discourse of the group of toxic mothers. Handler, 50, appeared on Page Six Radio on Wednesday, Jan. 7, where she defended Mandy Moore following Ashley Tisdale French’s now-viral essay for The Cut about leaving her “toxic” group of mom friends behind. (While French, 40, did not name Moore, 41, in the essay, she (…)
“I have friends who have older kids, and I’ve found that the people I’m closest to in my life right now are people who are in the same chapter of their lives as the parents,” Moore explained during an appearance on the channel. “Conversations With Cam” podcast..
The This is us alum, who shares sons Gus, 4, Ozzie, 3, and daughter Louise, 15 months, with her husband Taylor Goldsmithsaid the host Cameron Rogers that when some of his friendships changed for various reasons, it “caught me off guard.”
Moore also talked about his mother group, which he confirmed was made up of Duff.
“We evolved from music class to movement class to hang out. People get together for holidays, people get together for birthdays, we go to the zoo … all the things you do collectively as a group of friends,” she said. A ride to remember explained the star.
Moore shared that her “mommy talk always pops up with questions, comments, concerns, fun gossip…all the things.” She added that the women’s group “means everything” to her during this stage of her life.