There seems to be drama brewing between Ashley Tisdale and some other celebrity parents, after the High School Musical alum wrote an essay titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group.” Fans are fully obsessed with the messiness — which they think involves Hilary Duff, her husband Matthew Koma and her older sister Haylie — and now even more famous faces have been dragged into it, including Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor.
Ashley Tisdale’s essay in the The Cut revealed that she had been “feeling left out” of her mom group, and that “a growing distance” caused her to ultimately step away. Fans believe she was referencing Hilary Duff’s close circle, particularly since Tisdale didn’t attend the moms’ October trip. Her absence didn’t raise red flags at the time, but following the article and response from other famous moms, people are now looking back at all of the connections between the former Disney stars.
After Ashley Tisdale's Post Went Viral, What Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor And Matthew Koma Said
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody alum told TMZ her essay was not referring to Hilary Duff or the other women in that group; however, reactions from Duff’s husband and now Mandy Moore have left fans skeptical. For one thing, Ashley Tisdale allegedly no longer follows the Lizzie McGuire star or Moore on Instagram. And then there’s Matthew Koma, who proved he’s not afraid to mix it up when he previously roasted Candace Cameron Bure.
In a seeming response to Ashley Tisdale going viral for her article in The Cut, Matthew Koma posted an Instagram Story on January 6, photoshopping his image over Tisdale’s face and wrote:
When You're The Most Self-Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers
He also wrote: “Read my interview with @thecut. ‘A Mom Group Tell All Through a Father's Eyes.’"
After what seems to be a calling-out of Ashley Tisdale, Mandy Moore broke her silence to support Matthew Koma. The couple famously took in Moore and her family when they lost their home in the Pacific Palisades fire, and on January 8 she reposted one of Koma’s Instagram Stories that showed her performing her hit “Candy” at a benefit concert. Moore wrote:
This feels incredibly fitting as Matthew Koma happens to be one [of] the most talented and generous humans I’m lucky to know.
While Mandy Moore didn’t mention any of the ongoing mom drama, the timing of her support for Matthew Koma didn’t go unnoticed by fans.
Meanwhile, Meghan Trainor had a seemingly more direct response, as she posted a TikTok video referencing “mom group drama” as her song “Still Don’t Care” played in the background:
Reports from supposed insiders are also supporting the narrative that there is tension between the celebrity moms.
What Insiders Are Saying About The Mom Group Drama
Sources who are allegedly close to the celebrity moms also seem to support the theory that Ashley Tisdale’s essay was about Hilary Duff's group, as one told US Weekly:
They all feel blindsided and hurt by Ashley speaking out the way she did. From their perspective, they believed the group was supportive and coming from a good place, and they never thought there was any bad intent behind how things played out.
The insider said the This Is Us star and Hilary Duff think their issues could have been handled privately and that Ashley Tisdale’s article portrayed them unfairly — even though Tisdale did not name any women specifically.
Some More Evidence On Ashley Tisdale’s Connection To The Duff Sisters
Fans have also noticed that Hilary Duff’s sister Haylie seems to be standing by Ashley Tisdale amid the drama. The Napoleon Dynamite actress, for one, liked Tisdale’s Instagram post promoting her essay in a subtle show of support. Haylie and the High School Musical star have been connected for at least the past 10 years, as US Weekly reports that Tisdale sold her mansion to Haylie in 2016 for $2.7 million.
Many believe Haylie Duff's apparent support of Ashley Tisdale also supports the longstanding belief that tension exists between the celebrity siblings.
Fans are also now looking back at a November episode of Jake Shane‘s Therapuss podcast, in which Hilary Duff said she has a “talent” for cutting out friends who aren’t suiting her anymore. She said, in part:
You have to just own it and be like, ‘I can’t show up for you in this capacity right now. It feels overwhelming. And, blah blah blah. Like, I need some space.’ I’ve had to do it a few times. I just always want my side of the street to be clean. You know what I mean? I don’t want to make anyone feel bad by my actions. I’d rather have a conversation about it.
Of course there’s no indication that Hilary Duff was talking about her relationship with Ashley Tisdale, and in fact, with none of the celebrity moms coming out with any direct statements, it all remains a bit circumstantial. However, with so many connections to be made and evidence that continues to mount by the day, it’s easy to see why the Internet is so obsessed.
