Former Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale has publicly severed ties with what she describes as a "toxic" Hollywood mother's group, whose members have reportedly included fellow celebrities Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor.
A Dramatic Exit from the 'Cool Mom Club'
In a candid essay published by The Cut and detailed on her personal blog, the 40-year-old actress and mother of two explained her decision to leave the exclusive circle. Tisdale, famous for her roles in "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and the "High School Musical" franchise, stated she felt "not cool enough" and was repeatedly excluded from group gatherings.
"This is too high school for me and I don't want to take part in it anymore," Tisdale wrote in a final text message to the group, according to her account. She expressed feeling "totally lost" about why she was being "left out" and claimed the dynamic had stopped being "healthy and positive."
Cliques and Exclusion Behind the Scenes
Tisdale, who shares daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 1, with husband Christopher French, wrote that she rallied against the group's "mean girl behaviour." She described a pattern of exclusion that left her feeling "hurt, drained and left out."
A key issue, she revealed, was the formation of cliques within the larger group. "I realized that there were group text chains that didn't include everyone," Tisdale explained. "And after the third or fourth time of seeing social media photos of everyone else at a hangout that I didn't get invited to, it felt like I wasn't really part of the group after all."
While Tisdale did not name specific individuals in her essay, Page Six reported that she has since unfollowed Duff and Moore on Instagram, though she still follows Trainor.
Contrasting Narratives from the Group
This revelation stands in stark contrast to the public praise other members have previously heaped on the same social circle. In a December 2024 interview with People, Hilary Duff spoke warmly about the support system. "I feel like our big connection to one another, even though we're pop stars or on TV, is we love our kids," Duff said. "They were little baby worms when we all first got together... Now, we're in art class together, and we're in gymnastics class together, and we're just, like, moms."
Similarly, Mandy Moore told In Style in May 2022 that she was grateful to be part of the "cool mom club." "Somehow, I got invited into it and it's the best," she said at the time. "I've made so many wonderful friends."
Tisdale's decision to speak out offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the complex social dynamics that can exist within celebrity circles, proving that even among Hollywood's elite, feelings of insecurity and exclusion are not uncommon.
