Ashley Tisdale Basks in Self-Care Day amid ‘Toxic’ Mom Group Drama

Ashley Tisdale French is prioritizing self-care amid the ongoing drama surrounding her “toxic” mom group following her viral essay in The Cut.

In a series of posts on her Instagram Stories, Tisdale, 40, shared a selfie while lying on a massage table and having a spa day on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

“Unreal! @sarachase thank you for the best treat,” the High School Musical alum wrote over the selfie. “Just a little massage and facial day,” she captioned the Instagram Stories post.

The following slides showed the sun peeking through linen curtains, and a room that included a bonsai tree, a jute rug and a series of singing bowls, which are often used in meditation practices.

The spa day comes amid the ongoing fallout of Tisdale’s The Cut essay, titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group.” The mom of two initially opened up about the experience in a candid blog post titled “You’re Allowed to Leave Your Mom Group” in December 2025.

“When I became a mom, I craved connection almost as much as I craved sleep. So I did what a lot of us do. I joined a mom group,” Tisdale wrote in the viral December post. “But here’s the thing nobody prepared me for: Mom groups can turn toxic. Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior. I know this from personal experience.”

In January, Tisdale expanded on the post with her essay for The Cut. She kept the women from her former friend group anonymous, instead framing the experience as a reminder that it is okay to walk away from relationships that no longer feel healthy.

“If a mom group consistently leaves you feeling hurt, drained or left out, it’s not the mom group for you,” she wrote. “Choosing to step away doesn’t make you mean or judgmental. It makes you honest with yourself. It’s also worth remembering that friendships, like all relationships, have seasons.”

Since Tisdale published her story in The Cut, several members of the alleged “toxic” mom group have spoken out. Hilary Duff’s husband Matthew Koma took aim at Tisdale’s essay in an Instagram Stories post on Jan. 6, in which he referred to Tisdale as “The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth”. Duff was allegedly a member of the mom group that was the subject of the Phineas and Ferb alum’s essay.

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Meghan Trainor, another alleged member of the group, has spoken out several times, and continues to claim that she was not involved in any drama. Trainor, 32, shared a TikTok video on Monday, Jan. 12, in which she lip-synced to a popular scene from season 5 of Stranger Things, where Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) attempts to convince a group of kids that their imaginary friend, Mr. Whatsit, is truly a monster. “Come on you have to believe me! Please, you have to believe me, you have to believe me,” the audio says.

“Me still trying to convince everyone I’m not involved in the mom group drama,” the “Still Don’t Care” singer wrote on the video.

“I swear i’m innocent,” Trainor added in the caption.