Ashley Tisdale's candid essay about walking away from a tight-knit circle of celebrity mothers has snowballed into a full-blown Hollywood debate — with new reporting suggesting the fallout stemmed less from one explosive moment and more from long-simmering tension inside a group text.

The actress and singer, 40, ignited the conversation on Jan. 1 with a personal essay published by The Cut, titled "Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group."

In it, Tisdale described craving connection during the isolating months of new motherhood, only to later feel excluded as friendships shifted.

She wrote that she began noticing missed invitations, unanswered messages and a dynamic that felt "more like high school than adult friendship," prompting her to step away.

Group Text Tensions and Feeling Shut Out

Sources speaking to multiple outlets say the unraveling happened largely behind the scenes, within a shared group chat that once served as the social glue for the moms involved.

According to the Daily Mail, the group's communication slowly changed, with some members responding less and others growing closer to each other.

One insider said Tisdale felt "alienated" when her messages, questions and shared memes went unanswered, making her feel "forgotten" during a particularly vulnerable postpartum period.

"She felt frozen out," the source said, adding that this frustration is what ultimately led her to address the situation publicly.

The same source suggested the dynamic was not entirely one-sided, claiming Tisdale's personality may have contributed to the tension.

"The reason why Ashley is so well known for her character as Sharpay Evans ... is because that is who she is in real life," the insider said, describing her as intense and misunderstood — easy to connect with at first, but harder over time.

Politics, Personalities — and No Single Trigger

As speculation swirled online, one theory gained traction: that Tisdale's social media comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk may have upset members of the group. But sources told Page Six that the rift was far more complicated.

"It's a myriad of things, not just one specific," a Page Six source said, pushing back on claims that politics alone caused the fallout.

After Kirk's death, Tisdale wrote online that violence should never be justified, adding, "When we stop caring about loss of life we are done."

She later clarified her stance, saying she supports "equal rights for everyone — women's rights, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights," along with reproductive rights and gun reform. Still, insiders stressed that the mom group's breakdown predated that moment.

Reporting by Us Weekly echoed that view.

One source said the core issue was that "some of the women just became closer friends with each other," while Tisdale increasingly felt left out of spontaneous dinners and casual hangouts — without any deliberate attempt to exclude her.

"There wasn't any bad intent," the source said. "Friendships naturally changed."

Celeb Reactions Add Fuel to the Fire

Although Tisdale never named names, fans quickly speculated the group included Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor, based on past friendships and social media activity. A representative for Tisdale told TMZthere was "zero truth" to claims the essay targeted those women.

The situation escalated when Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, mocked the essay on Instagram with a parody headline, per USA Today, "When You're the Most Self-Obsessed Tone Deaf Person on Earth, Other Moms Tend to Shift Focus to Their Actual Toddlers." Moore later praised Koma publicly, while Trainor subtly weighed in on TikTok using her song "Still Don't Care."

Despite the noise, sources say Tisdale did not intend to spark a celebrity feud.

In a follow-up blog post, she wrote that the topic had prompted women to message her saying, "I feel seen," while warning online sleuths that "whatever you think is true isn't even close."

Privately, friends say the actress has found relief since stepping away from the group and relocating to Malibu. One Us Weekly insider described the move as "a fresh breath of air," saying Tisdale feels calmer and more grounded.

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Ashley Tisdale