Ashley Tisdale is reportedly developing a new Netflix comedy series titled Toxic Moms, drawing from her personal experiences with a toxic mother group. The project brings together Tisdale, Ali Wong, and Sabrina Jalees, who has written the half-hour comedy. According to Deadline, the series follows "a sleep-deprived new mom who's drawn into a clique of cool, wealthy mothers," before revealing its "darker side." The show asks: in the depths of the isolation of motherhood, how far would you go to be part of a community?
Cast and Creative Team
Tisdale, Wong, and Jalees will executive produce Toxic Moms, with Wong potentially directing should Netflix commission a full series. Tisdale, known for her role in High School Musical, gained widespread attention earlier this year after publishing a candid essay about leaving a toxic mum group. The essay, titled "Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group," was adapted from a blog post and published in The Cut in January 2026.
Tisdale's Personal Experience
In her blog, Tisdale described the benefits of having a "village of moms" after welcoming her first daughter in 2011. However, she noticed the group's atmosphere shifting, evoking memories of high school cliques as she was "frozen out." She recounted how several mothers began socializing without her, and she sensed a "growing distance" even when included. Tisdale "picked up on hints of a weird dynamic" when another mother "often wasn't included" in gatherings. Reflecting on the experience, she felt she might not have been "cool enough" for the group.
Departure from the Group
Tisdale ultimately left the group after sending a message: "This is too high school for me and I don't want to take part in it anymore." Following the publication of her blog, her phone began to "blow up like no other" topic, with an outpouring of messages from numerous women who had encountered remarkably similar experiences.
Production Details
The project is in early development at Netflix, with no official green light yet. Screen Time, the publishers of the Express, have approached Netflix for comment. The series is expected to draw heavily from Tisdale's viral essay, which garnered significant attention for its honest portrayal of modern motherhood and social dynamics.
