Hilary Duff Speaks Out on 'Toxic Mom Group' Drama After Ashley Tisdale's Essay

Hilary Duff is sort of responding to Ashley Tisdale's arguments from her essay inThe Cut,in which she detailed that she needed to exit her "toxic mother group."

In a conversation with theLos Angeles Times,published on Friday, Duff was questioned regarding the controversy that arose from Tisdale's essay last month and whether it caused her to reconsider returning to the pop music scene. TheHigh School Musical An actress' essay detailed how she ended relationships within her mother's group circle because she felt excluded and found the environment to be unhealthy.

Even though Tisdale didn't mention anyone by name, she and Duff have been seen together as part of the same group of mothers. And following the publication of Tisdale's essay, Duff's husband and singer-songwriter,Matthew Koma, fired backby sharing an image on his Instagram Story that shows him photoshopped onto Tisdale's body, accompanied by a fake headline stating: "When You're The Most Self-obsessed Tone-deaf Individual On Earth, Other Moms Usually Redirect Their Attention To Their Real Toddlers."

"This isn't anything new to me," Duff said to theLos Angeles Times concerning the drama, "I've had this since I was around 15 and beginning to be chased by photographers. Everything starts being recorded and everyone becomes aware of my life and all the people involved in it. Therefore, the stories that receive media attention—these aren't the kinds of things that happen to a regular person who perhaps became an actor later in life."

She went on to say that awareness has increased through sharing information on TikTok. "It's challenging because you think, 'Wait, that person kind of got it right,' and 'Whoa, that person doesn't have a clue,'" Duff mentioned. "I came across something that said, 'None of the moms at school actually like her and neither do the teachers,' and I thought, 'First of all... By the way, the women at school are wonderful and I'm really fond of them all.'"

In Tisdale's essay, she outlines the reasons behind her decision to end her friendship group. "I recall being excluded from a few group gatherings, and I found out about them because Instagram constantly showed me every photo and Story," she wrote. "At another instance, during one of the mothers' dinner parties, I noticed where I was seated with her - at the far end of the table, away from the other women. I began to feel increasingly left out, observing every way they seemed to exclude me. Initially, I tried not to take it personally. After all, people aren't required to include me in every gathering - and perhaps there were valid reasons for my absence. We were all occupied, life was chaotic."

She also mentioned she didn't understand why she was being excluded, but it made her feel as if she were "back in high school" and "completely out of place." Tisdale contacted members of the group and remembered that it "wasn't exactly well-received."

Some of the others attempted to ease the tension. One sent flowers, only to disregard me when I expressed gratitude. Another tried to persuade me that everyone believed I had been invited to events but simply hadn't attended," she wrote, continuing, "You deserve to experience motherhood with people who truly, you know,likeYou. And if you find yourself questioning whether they do, here's a valuable lesson I hope you truly understand: It's not the right group for you. Even if it seems like they're having the most fun on Instagram.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Hilary Duff Travels to Los Angeles: Tips for Obtaining Fully Sold-Out Concert Tickets
• Hilary Duff's Spouse Responds Following Ashley Tisdale's "Toxic Mom Group" Article

Berbagi :