Former Disney star Ashley Tisdale has publicly disclosed her reasons for stepping away from a high-profile mothers' group in Los Angeles, describing the environment as having turned "toxic" and rife with "mean girl behaviour."
The Initial Support of a 'Mum Village'
In a candid post on her blog, By Ashley French, the actor explained that she initially sought the camaraderie of a "village of mums" after welcoming her first daughter, Jupiter, in 2021. This group, which included fellow celebrities Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor, provided a vital network for advice, playdates, and supportive messages as they navigated early motherhood together in LA.
Mandy Moore had previously praised the collective in a 2022 interview with InStyle, calling it a "cool mum club" formed by Duff. She expressed immense gratitude for the wonderful friends and shared experiences, from dinners to baby classes.
The Dynamic Turns Toxic
However, Tisdale revealed that the supportive atmosphere eventually soured. She began to notice troubling shifts in the group's dynamic. "Mom groups can turn toxic," Tisdale warned, clarifying that it wasn't necessarily about the individuals being toxic people, but rather the group dynamic descending into an "ugly place."
She detailed specific instances that led to her feeling ostracised, including witnessing members talk negatively about absent friends and the formation of exclusive cliques through separate group text chains that did not include everyone. The final straw came when she repeatedly saw social media photos of group hangouts she had not been invited to.
"After the third or fourth time of seeing social media photos of everyone else at a hangout that I didn’t get invited to, it felt like I wasn't really part of the group after all," she wrote.
Stepping Away and Moving Forward
Confronted with this consistent pattern of feeling "hurt, drained, or left out," Tisdale made the decision to separate herself from the group. She advised other mothers in similar situations to do the same, emphasising that creating boundaries and leaving hurtful friendships sets a positive example for children.
This departure marks a significant change from just months prior. In January of this year, Tisdale had publicly thanked the same mum group for their support during the Los Angeles wildfires. Furthermore, in 2022, she had gushed about a "moms weekend away" on a since-deleted Instagram post, expressing how grateful she was for the women to journey through motherhood with.
Evidence of the rift has since materialised online; Tisdale no longer follows Mandy Moore on Instagram. Recent social media activity shows Tisdale has tapered off from the group, with Moore and Duff going on a trip with other mothers last month without Tisdale or Trainor in attendance.
