Ashley Tisdale's relationships with her celebrity mom friends have unraveled, with sources saying that tensions were brewing long before the actress publicly labeled the group as "toxic."

In a recent essay for The Cut, Tisdale, 40, reflected on feeling left out and excluded from gatherings with fellow moms, including Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor.

The former Disney Channel star described the experience as leaving her "feeling totally lost as to what I was doing wrong to be left out."

But according to insiders familiar with the friend group, the breakdown was not entirely one-sided. Sources say that Tisdale's behavior, including her political commentary and perceived self-focus, contributed to growing friction.

"Her friends felt the amount of self-absorption she showed just got worse, and it was impossible to maintain a friendship with her since it was so one-sided," one source told The U.S. Sun, noting that she appeared interested only in things that suited her own interests.

LA Wildfires and Rising Tensions

One turning point reportedly came after the Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, which displaced members of the group.

While several friends were personally affected, the source claims Tisdale "hardly checked in" during the crisis. Moore, 41, lost her home in the fire, and her brother and sister-in-law were also impacted.

Tisdale's political opinions and social media posts also reportedly created discomfort within the circle.

"Some of Ashley's comments about politics...made moms in the group feel uncomfortable with her by association," the insider said. "It created an extremely toxic dynamic. They questioned her morals and what she believes in."

This pattern of behavior was not limited to her current mom group. Vanessa Hudgens, Tisdale's former "High School Musical" co-star and once-close friend, has reportedly drifted apart from the actress for similar reasons. Rumors about that estrangement gained traction after Tisdale was absent from Hudgens' wedding in December 2023.

Tisdale Speaks Out

In her essay, Tisdale recounted how repeated exclusion left her feeling like a high schooler again. "Here I was sitting alone one night after getting my daughter to bed, thinking, maybe I'm not cool enough? All of a sudden, I was in high school again, feeling totally lost as to what I was doing wrong to be left out," she wrote.

She described the group as exhibiting "mean girl behavior" and fostering cliques, noting that certain group text chains left her out of important conversations.

Tisdale ultimately decided to step away, sending a message to the group, "This is too high school for me, and I don't want to take part in it anymore."

While Tisdale said she "never considered the moms to be bad people [except for] maybe one," she stressed that the overall dynamic had become unhealthy. She also reflected on the emotional impact, revealing that repeated exclusion had left her crying multiple times.

She wrote about being hurt and "drained," feeling isolated even when her friends gathered nearby.

Celebrity Mom Groups: Fun or Friction?

The mom group, which once included Duff and Trainor alongside Tisdale and Moore, had often been described publicly as close-knit.

Duff previously told People that she and her friends enjoyed being "in the trenches" together while raising children, noting that their bond began when the kids were toddlers attending music and art classes.

Behind the polished public image, Tisdale described a more strained reality, saying she often felt excluded and unseen.

She added that speaking out was important for her daughters, Jupiter and Emerson. On Instagram, she remains connected to Trainor but has cut ties with Duff and Moore.

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Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor