Just when the “toxic mom group” drama seemed to cool off, it officially got a new layer. Hilary Duff’s sister, Haylie Duff, subtly inserted herself into the conversation by liking Ashley Tisdale’s viral essay — and fans were quick to notice.
Ashley, 40, sparked widespread chatter earlier this month after publishing a deeply personal piece for The Cut titled Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group, in which she detailed cutting ties with a group of mom friends she felt excluded and bullied by. While Ashley never named names, online speculation immediately zeroed in on a possible connection to Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor.
Now, Haylie’s social media activity is raising even more eyebrows.
According to Us Weekly, Haylie, 40, “liked” a joint Instagram post shared by Ashley and The Cut promoting the essay. The post read, “LEAVE YOUR TOXIC FRIENDS BEHIND YOU IN 2026, says @ashleytisdalefrench. For #ItsBeenAYear, the actress, beauty founder, and mother details dumping her mom group, where the bullying between women mirrored their children’s playground antics. Read the story of how it all unfolded, in her own words, at the link in bio.”
While liking a post may seem harmless on its own, the timing — and family connections — quickly fueled speculation. Some fans wondered if Haylie’s support of the essay was a subtle signal amid longstanding rumors that she and sister Hilary, 38, aren’t as close as they once were. (The sisters have not been photographed together publicly since 2019.)
The renewed attention comes as Ashley’s essay continues to make waves online. In the piece, the High School Musical alum opened up about feeling sidelined within her mom group and realizing she needed to step away for her own mental health. Before officially leaving, Ashley recalled texting the group, “This is too high school for me, and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.”
Despite rampant speculation, Ashley’s camp has firmly denied that the essay was about any specific celebrity moms. Her representative told TMZ there is “zero truth to what online ‘detectives’ think they’ve cracked,” insisting the piece was not about Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore or Meghan Trainor.
Still, Hilary’s husband, Matthew Koma, appeared to weigh in with a not-so-subtle jab. In an Instagram Story posted Tuesday, January 6, the musician shared a satirical fake headline styled as a Cut cover. “A mom group tell-all through a father’s eyes,” Koma, 38, wrote. “When you’re the most self obsessed tone deaf person on earth, other moms tend to shift focus to their actual toddlers.”
Ashley’s husband, Christopher French, also chimed in — albeit more cryptically — by reposting a message to his Instagram Story that read, “It’s your choice whether or not to engage.”
Meanwhile, questions about the Duff sisters’ relationship have lingered for years. In a November 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, Hilary appeared to allude to family tension while discussing her return to music. “We have gone through a lot of the same things — whether that’s complicated relationships, anxiety, raising kids, divorces, trying to find yourself in adulthood, family drama…” she said. “Finally I felt safe enough and comfortable in my own family to step outside and open that part of myself up again.”
