Ashley Tisdale Calls out a 'Toxic' Celebrity Mom Group, Hilary Duff’s Husband Responds
Just a week into the New Year, an unexpected celebrity feud entered the chat.
Former Disney star Ashley French, née Tisdale, wrote a personal essay for The Cut detailing her experiences "breaking up" with a "toxic" mom group. What made the story stand out even more was that fans quickly deduced who was allegedly a part of this former circle, and it included some pretty recognizable names. Hilary Duff? Mandy Moore? Meghan Trainor? Any of these names sound familiar?
What Caused the Rift?
In French’s essay, the former Disney star wrote about "craving connection" after her first daughter was born, and thought she had found her "village" with a group of moms, who were not only moms of young kids, but were also "building brands, running their own companies, launching creative projects." But eventually, she wrote, "I could sense a growing distance between me and the other members of the group."
According to French, she found herself excluded from group hangs, birthdays, and dinner parties. At one dinner party in particular, she found herself seated at the end of the table, "far from the rest of the women." After being left out of another group hang, she texted the moms, "This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore."
How Did Hilary Duff’s Husband Respond?
While French doesn’t name any names in the essay — or on her blog, By Ashley French, where her experiences with the group were first posted — the chatter surrounding the news sparked a response from Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma.
He posted an Instagram story, wearing a similar all-black ensemble French wore for The Cut piece with a fictional headline: "When You're The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers," and a following sub-headline, "A Mom Group Tell All Through A Father's Eyes."
On Jan. 7, French’s husband, Christopher, posted an Instagram story with a cryptic message: "Underrated life skill: Pausing to decide if it's worth your energy."