The celebrity mom group drama that quietly simmered last year is back in the spotlight — and this time, Hilary Duff is speaking directly about it.

During Wednesday’s episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Duff addressed Ashley Tisdale French’s viral essay published in The Cut, in which Tisdale described feeling “frozen out” of a former celebrity mom group she once considered her “village.”

Though Tisdale did not name names in the essay, she had previously been photographed alongside Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor, fueling widespread speculation about who was involved.

When podcast host Alex Cooper asked Duff about the controversy, the former Disney Channel star didn’t hesitate to share her reaction.

“I felt really sad. I honestly felt really sad,” Duff said. “I was, like, pretty, pretty taken aback and felt just, like, sad.”

Duff explained that motherhood has introduced many meaningful friendships into her life, and she strongly disagreed with the portrayal of the group dynamic described in the essay.

“So I think I just was like, ‘Woah,’” she said. “It sucks to read something that’s, like, not true. And it sucks on behalf of, like, six women in all of their lives.”

Tisdale’s essay painted a picture of excitement turning into discomfort. After welcoming her daughter Jupiter in 2021, Tisdale wrote that she initially felt she had found a supportive circle of women navigating motherhood together. But over time, she claimed the atmosphere shifted, describing moments when she felt excluded.

“I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs,” Tisdale wrote. “I knew about them because Instagram made sure it fed me every single photo and Instagram Story.” She compared the dynamic to “high school–style behavior,” suggesting subtle social shifts and distancing within the group.

The essay quickly went viral, prompting online debate about adult friendships, social media optics, and the fragile ecosystem of celebrity relationships.

Duff’s husband, musician Matthew Koma, added fuel to the conversation at the time by posting a satirical fake magazine cover to social media. The mock headline read: “A mom group tell all through a father’s eyes: When You’re the Most Self-Obsessed Tone Deaf Person on Earth, Other Moms Tend to Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers.”

In a tongue-in-cheek caption, Koma wrote: “Read my new interview with @thecut.”

Duff revealed on Call Her Daddy that she had no advance warning about her husband’s post.

“Honestly, everything he does makes me laugh. So I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God,’” she said. “But I also don’t censor him, and I don’t tell him what he can and can’t post. He is so, like, fierce for me, and, like, I love him for that.”

While Duff stopped short of escalating the situation, her comments make clear that she felt misrepresented by the essay’s narrative.

As of publication, Tisdale’s representatives have not publicly responded to Duff’s recent remarks.

The saga highlights the complicated intersection of celebrity, motherhood, and social media — where private feelings can become public conversation overnight. What may have started as a close-knit support system evolved into a viral cultural moment dissected by fans and critics alike.

For Duff, the lingering emotion appears less like anger and more like disappointment.

“I felt really sad,” she repeated.

And in Hollywood’s small circles, sometimes that may be the sharpest line of all.