This is not what she wants, this is not what she planned – but Ashley Tisdale has found herself embroiled in drama, and not of the musical variety.
The High School Musical alum, known best for her portrayal of our favourite theatre diva Sharpay Evans in the hit movie series, has penned a very public callout of a group of her ex-friends.
In a post to media platform Substack, she alleges she was essentially “frozen out” of the tight-knit “clique” of fellow mums.
The former Disney star, who now goes by Ashley French following her marriage to husband Christopher, wrote a raw reflection of the moment she realised the group was no longer serving her.
“Friendships, like all relationships, have seasons. Maybe a group truly was a good fit at one point, but if it’s not the right fit for you now, it’s okay to move on,” the Substack post read.
She went on to delve deeper into the topic, authoring a separate essay for The Cut a few weeks ago, titled ‘Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group.’
Tisdale began by warning “online sleuths” off investigating the matter further, however, many were quick to point out the actress had once been part of a friendship group that included the likes of Meghan Trainor, Hillary Duff and Mandy Moore.
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The group had been active on social media in the past, with Trainer captioning one 2022 Instagram post “I have mom friends and I love them.”
A rep for Tisdale has since denied speculation the “toxic mom group” referenced in the piece included Moore, Duff or Trainor.
Speaking to TMZ, the rep said it was “unfortunate that Ashley’s words had been twisted in that way.”
Tisdale noted that following the birth of her first daughter, she began craving connection with other mothers. Initially, she believed she had finally fostered the very connection she sought.
But ultimately, it was not to be.
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“I thought I found my village. Instead, I was back in high school,” she said.
She began to notice she was being left out of various group activities – but could not escape the Instagram Stories and posts that showed her exactly what she was missing.
After one ill-fated dinner party where she was purposely seated away from the other women, the reality of the situation finally began to sink in.
“I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me,” Tisdale wrote.
She revealed she had noticed an odd dynamic in the group from the start, with one mum noticeably absent from a number of group activities.
But despite the red flags, she had been so enamoured by the “incredible, smart, funny” women that she paid it no mind. That is, until she was on the receiving end.
Tisdale alleged that the group had “a pattern of leaving someone out” – and that somehow, at some point, for some reason; that someone had become her.
She went on to call out the group for their behaviour via text, saying “‘This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.’”
According to Tisdale, the reaction was immediate, with some of the group attempting to smooth things over as a result.
She alleged one member sent her flowers but then proceeded to “ignore her” when she reached out to say thank you.
Another claimed she and the others had assumed she’d been invited, but simply hadn’t shown up.
But Tisdale has well and truly stuck to the status quo, not making any attempt to rekindle old connections in the wake of the fallout.
The bold essay has – against the actress’ wishes – drawn speculation amongst internet sleuths far and wide.
High School Musical cast: Then and now
Eagle-eyed fans have since noticed that while Tisdale still follows Trainer on Instagram, she no longer follows Hilary Duff or Mandy Moore.
Members of the ‘mum group’ in question have yet to address their ex-friend’s allegations publicly.
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