Reality television alum Crystal Kung Minkoff has inserted herself into the latest Hollywood controversy, claiming intimate knowledge of the celebrity 'mum group' at the centre of Ashley Tisdale's recent exposé. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star stated she knows about '70 percent' of the mothers referenced in Tisdale's scathing essay for The Cut, in which the High School Musical actress detailed feeling insecure and alienated.
The Fallout from a Viral Essay
The drama erupted after 40-year-old Ashley Tisdale published a personal essay describing her painful experiences with an unnamed group of mothers. In the aftermath, Tisdale unfollowed fellow actresses Mandy Moore and Hilary Duff on Instagram before deactivating her entire account. The situation escalated when Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, publicly blasted Tisdale as 'self obsessed' and 'tone deaf.'
Minkoff, 42, addressed the scandal on her podcast, Humble Brag, questioning Tisdale's strategy. 'I just wonder, what was she thinking was gonna happen?' Minkoff mused. She directly contradicted a statement from Tisdale's publicist denying the essay was about a specific group, firmly stating, 'I know it's the group.'
A Personal Connection to 'Mean Girl' Dynamics
Minkoff's insight comes from a place of personal experience. The co-founder of Real Coco revealed her own 14-member mum group 'dropped' her in 2021 after she was cast on the Bravo reality show. She reached out to a member of the group in question, who told her, 'It's so ironic that we're the toxic ones and she's on her own.'
However, Minkoff was quick to defend Hilary Duff, suggesting the 'toxic' mother likely wasn't her. 'I've known her for 10 years... Super sweet. Like I cannot see her being a mean girl like that - a mean mom,' she said, while acknowledging the complex dynamics at play. She expressed sympathy for Tisdale, noting the actress is now receiving '90% hate' online.
The Intense World of Celebrity Parenting
Reflecting on her own ordeal, Minkoff hopes Tisdale's public airing of grievances ultimately 'serves' her. She described the intense pressure and competition that can surface among parents, particularly during milestones like school applications. 'When you start heading into applications for kindergarten, all your best friends suddenly become your enemies. It's really crazy,' she advised, suggesting such concerns fade as children grow older.
Minkoff, who shares two children with director husband Rob Minkoff, concluded that the stress of trying to fit in is often not worth it. Meanwhile, Tisdale, who has been married to composer Christopher French for 11 years, relies on a nanny to help care for her two young daughters amid the ongoing public fallout.
