The internet has been captivated for days by the unfolding drama surrounding what has been dubbed the 'toxic mom group'. What began as a personal essay has spiralled into a full-blown celebrity feud, exposing alleged rifts within a clique of famous mothers.
The Explosive Essay That Started It All
In November 2025, Ashley Tisdale, the 40-year-old star of High School Musical, published a candid article for The Cut entitled 'breaking up with my toxic mom group'. The piece detailed her feelings of exclusion from a circle of fellow celebrity mums she had once cherished. Tisdale, who welcomed daughter Jupiter in 2021 and son Emerson in 2024, had previously raved about her supportive 'village of moms'.
She wrote of noticing she was no longer invited to gatherings, which she would later see posted on social media. 'It took me back to an unpleasant but familiar feeling I thought I'd left behind years ago,' Tisdale explained. 'All of a sudden I was in high school again.' She ultimately severed ties via a group text stating, 'This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.'
Who Are The Alleged Members Of The Group?
While Ashley did not name names, fans quickly connected the dots to a Hollywood mum squad centred around fellow former Disney star Hilary Duff. The group, formed around 2021, has been seen on numerous holidays, at baby classes, and on playdates. Key figures speculated to be involved include:
- Hilary Duff, 38: The Lizzie McGuire actress and mother of four. Her husband, musician Matthew Koma, fuelled the fire by publicly mocking Tisdale's essay, calling her 'self obsessed' and 'tone deaf' in a photoshopped post.
- Mandy Moore, 41: The singer and This Is Us actress, mother of three. Moore still follows Tisdale on Instagram, but the follow is not reciprocated.
- Meghan Trainor, 32: The pop star and mother of two. She and Tisdale still follow each other online.
- Samii Ryan, 34: A clothing designer who appeared to post cryptic responses to the drama, including lyrics about not caring if 'b*****s don't like me'.
- Gaby Dalkin, 39: A cookbook author who made a pointed post asking 'What did I miss???' amid the fallout.
- Other associates include businesswoman Janice Gott, makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan, influencer Whitney Wagner Hartley, artist Amanda Kaplan, and Haylee Davidowitz.
A representative for Tisdale later claimed her words had been 'twisted into clickbait' and denied the online speculation, but the genie was already out of the bottle.
Taking Sides: The Celebrity Fallout
The public reaction initially seemed to side with Hilary Duff, with many social media users criticising Tisdale. However, Ashley received notable support from several famous friends.
In a surprising twist, Haylie Duff—Hilary's sister, with whom she is rumoured to have a strained relationship—'liked' Tisdale's post promoting the essay. Actress Rebecca Gayheart and influencer Aimee Song also publicly voiced their support.
Perhaps most notably, Selma Blair initially commented 'You can sit with me. ❤️' on Tisdale's post, though the comment was mysteriously deleted two days later. She had, however, already 'liked' the post.
The saga highlights the surprisingly intense and often painful social dynamics that can exist within parent groups, even among the rich and famous. What started as a personal reflection has become a public dissection of friendship, exclusion, and celebrity culture.
