Okay, so Ashley Tisdale got iced out of a mom group. Yeah, that Ashley Tisdale. Sharpay Evans herself, the High School Musical icon, the woman who basically defined a generation’s early 2000s style (I mean, hello, layered tanks and trucker hats). And you know what? It’s not just a little bit wild, it’s actually… super relatable. Who would’ve thought that even celebrities with their perfectly curated lives and, you know, staff, still deal with that awful, gut-punching feeling of being excluded from the playground? Except now the playground is a brunch reservation you weren’t invited to and the pictures pop up on Instagram, just to twist the knife.

The Instagram Betrayal is Real, Y’all

She wrote this whole essay for The Cut, right? January 2026, which feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once. Ashley Tisdale French – gotta use her full married name, she earned it – opened up about feeling like she was in a “toxic” mom group. And look, I’ve seen this pattern before. It’s not just famous people. It’s literally everyone who’s ever tried to make adult friends, especially when kids enter the picture. The stakes just feel… higher, somehow. Like you’re not just looking for a buddy, you’re looking for a whole support system. A tribe, even.

But the real kicker, the part that probably made a collective groan ripple through the internet, was how she found out. Instagram. Oh, Instagram, you beautiful, soul-crushing beast. She mentioned being “left out of a couple of group hangs,” and how the algorithm, bless its all-seeing eye, made sure she saw “every single photo and Instagram Story.” Ouch. I mean, we’ve all been there, right? Scrolling, scrolling, and then BAM – a picture of your friends, or people you thought were your friends, having a blast without you. It’s like a digital slap in the face. And it makes you question everything. Was it something I said? Was I not fun enough? Did I not bring the right kind of organic, gluten-free snacks to the last playdate?

The “Frozen Out” Feeling

Ashley put it perfectly, she “was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.” And that’s the insidious part, isn’t it? It’s not usually a big, dramatic blow-up. It’s a slow fade. A subtle shift. Fewer texts, slower replies, whispers you might be imagining. You tell yourself it’s “all in my head,” that you’re being “too sensitive,” but then the evidence starts piling up. The group chat that goes silent when you join. The inside jokes you don’t get. The growing distance. It’s not a misunderstanding, it’s just… rejection. And for someone who’s been in the public eye her whole life, who probably has a thick skin for a lot of things, this kind of personal, social rejection must sting like crazy. It stings for all of us, actually.

But Wait, Are Mom Groups Just High School All Over Again?

Here’s the thing about mom groups – or any adult friendship circle, really – sometimes they just become cliquey. It’s like we never really leave high school. We just trade lockers for strollers and cafeteria food for artisanal coffee. And suddenly, you’re back in the popularity contest, except now you’re also juggling sleep deprivation and diaper blowouts. It’s exhausting, to be honest. And if you’re not clicking with the vibe, or if you’re a little different, or maybe you just don’t have the same amount of free time to dedicate to group activities, you can find yourself on the outside looking in pretty fast.

“I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs, and I knew about them because Instagram made sure it fed me every single photo and Instagram Story. I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me. … I told myself it was all in my head, and it wasn’t a big deal. And yet, I could sense a growing distance between me and the other members of the group.” – Ashley Tisdale French, The Cut

Stars, They’re Just Like Us (Except Richer)

So, the internet, naturally, blew up. And what’s interesting here is how many other celebrities chimed in. Matthew Koma, Hilary Duff’s husband (and honestly, a pretty hilarious dude on social media), he reacted. I bet he did. Because this isn’t just an “Ashley Tisdale” problem. This is a universal human experience. And for other celebs, I’m sure it was a moment of “Oh my god, me too!” or maybe even “Thank god it wasn’t me who wrote that essay, but yeah, I know that feeling.”

It’s validating, I think, for someone like Ashley to speak out. It takes the shame out of it a little bit. Because when you’re getting iced out, you often feel like there’s something wrong with you. Like you’re the problem. But when someone famous, someone you admire, says “Hey, this happened to me too, and it sucked,” it makes you realize it’s not about your worth. It’s about group dynamics, or mismatched personalities, or just plain old rudeness. And sometimes, you just outgrow people, or they outgrow you, and it doesn’t have to be a big dramatic thing, but when it’s passive-aggressive and played out on social media, it absolutely feels like one.

What This Actually Means

If I’m being honest, this whole thing just reinforces that adult friendships, especially those formed around specific life stages like parenthood, are messy. Really messy. They require effort, communication, and a certain amount of emotional intelligence that, frankly, not everyone possesses. And sometimes, even with the best intentions, things just don’t work out. Ashley Tisdale’s story isn’t just celebrity gossip; it’s a reminder that social exclusion hurts, no matter who you are or how many platinum records you’ve sold.

And it’s a good reminder for us all, I think, to be kinder. To include people. To step away from the passive-aggressive Instagram clues and just have a real conversation if there’s an issue. Or, you know, if it’s just not working, to politely disengage without making someone feel like they’re back in middle school. Because nobody, not even a Disney Channel legend, deserves to feel like they’re not good enough for the lunch table.