Ashley French’s Friend-Group Drama Is Unbearably Normal

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Look, I love a good celebrity scandal as much as the next person – usually it’s all fancy vacations and over-the-top fights, giving us regular folks something to talk about. But this whole thing with Ashley Tisdale and her mom group? It’s strangely fascinating. It feels… relatable. We’ve all been in friend groups that fall apart, right? Whether it’s from school, work, or just life, those dynamics are complicated. It’s not shocking that a group of four moms – even famous ones – couldn’t make it work. What is surprising is that Ashley keeps airing their dirty laundry. It’s like she can’t let it go, and honestly, that’s what’s keeping me hooked!

Wait, sorry, who is Ashley French?

Ashley French is Ashley Tisdale’s — of High School Musical fame — married name.

And who are … or were … her celeb friends?

Hayley French’s mom group included well-known celebrities like Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, and Meghan Trainor, as well as other creative professionals such as cookbook author Gaby Dalkin, makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan, clothing designer Samii Ryan, and Janice Gott, who founded a breast pump company. Hilary Duff shared with People magazine in 2024 how much she valued the group, explaining that despite their careers as performers, they were all united by their love for their children. While French is also close friends with Austin Butler, he wasn’t part of the mom group since he doesn’t have children.

So what happened between then and now?

We don’t know!!! Moore, Duff, and Trainor have not yet addressed the situation.

Okay, fine, what do we know?

Problems began last fall. Journalist Allie Jones, who closely follows the Duff situation, noticed tension within the friend group after seeing a TikTok post from French in late October 2025. In the post, French cautioned her followers about the potential for negativity in “mom groups” and advised them to distance themselves from draining social interactions. Although the TikTok carried a warning, it was presented as a message about prioritizing self-care, emphasizing that it’s okay to remove yourself from unhealthy situations—it’s not about being unkind, just being honest with yourself.

More recently, French wrote about this experience twice. First, on her blog, “By Ashley French,” in a post called “You’re Allowed to Leave Your Mom Group,” and then for The Cut with a more direct piece titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group.” In both articles, she mentioned noticing she was excluded from certain events and conversations, learning about social gatherings and text threads she wasn’t included in. As she explained in The Cut, she doesn’t know why this happened and likely never will.

Why do people think that French might have been left out?

Reddit users have noticed that French seems a bit more conservative compared to others in the group, pointing to a post she made following Charlie Kirk’s passing. Despite this, French has a history of supporting Democratic political candidates.

Okay, so we don’t know her politics. Who is the mean mom in the group?

French smartly points to unkind behavior and group issues as the source of the conflict, avoiding naming any specific mom involved. Jones’s research revealed French stopped following both Moore and Dalkin, leading to speculation about who might have started the issues. However, what’s notable about French discussing her departure is that she emphasizes it’s okay to step away from negative situations. While some of these moms – or even French herself – might be acting unkindly, that doesn’t mean they’re required to maintain a relationship just because they’re public figures.

Have any of the other moms responded?

Designer Ryan shared a video on Instagram of someone lip-syncing a line from Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Her” – the lyrics were, “I don’t care if these bitches don’t like me.” She added the caption “2026 mood.” According to Page Six, this post might be a dig at French, but it could just as easily be about something completely different, like an unpleasant experience with a barista.

Have any unrelated moms responded?

Jenna Bush Hager disagreed with France’s decision to publicly discuss the issue on Today With Jenna & Friends. She explained to guest co-host Matt Rogers that while she supports France being honest, she believes private conversations with those who caused the hurt are often more effective and sufficient.

How did Matt Rogers respond?

Trick question — he’s not a mom, so it doesn’t matter.

Maybe more famous people should hang out with non-famous people?

I agree.

Are French and Butler still friends?

Hope so!!

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2026-01-07 02:54