Crystal Kung Minkoff knows what it’s like to be “dropped” by a group of friends.
The ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ alum, who famously revealed she lost “14 friends” after joining the reality show on season 11 in 2021, is speaking out on Ashley Tisdale’s “toxic” mom group drama.
“I probably know 70 percent of the mom group because[our kids]all went to kindergarten together…and one[of the moms]went to the same high school as us,” Minkoff, 42, explained on Monday’s “Humble Brag” podcast, noting that she intended to make her comments “broader” on the subject of “protecting people’s privacy.”
Minkoff, who left RHOBH after Season 13 in 2024, is not a member of the star-studded mom group in question, which includes Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor, but she is well aware of Tisdale’s position.
Earlier this month, the 40-year-old actress penned an essay for The Cut titled “Farewell to the Toxic Mom Group.” In it, she said that being excluded from the group’s hangouts made her feel “not cool enough” and ultimately led her to leave the friendship.
“Ashley’s story is that she left the group, and my story is that I didn’t leave the group,” Minkoff claimed on his podcast. “I did a show, and I did a whole episode about this, so it’s not like it doesn’t go unspoken, but I did a show and everyone turned against me and they took me off.”
After Tisdale’s essay went viral and she started receiving “heat” for publicizing its impact, her publicist claimed her client was referring to a different mom group. But after other celebrities, including Duff’s husband Matthew Koma, also spoke out, Minkoff emphasized, “We know it’s a group.”
Minkoff acknowledged that “it’s difficult to always get everyone on board,” but he doesn’t think Tisdale misread the situation. “I can tell if I’m being kicked out,” she said.
The former Bravolebrity, who has son Max, 13, and daughter Zoe, 10, with husband Rob Minkoff, admitted that she sent a message to one of Tisdale’s former group mothers following the media furore.
“I thought, ‘I want to know what’s going on,’ and they said, ‘It’s so ironic that it’s our fault and she’s on her own,'” Crystal recalled, without giving her mother’s name.
“But I was like, ‘I understand that I was alone.’ It made me think. I’ve thought a lot these past (days).”
Crystal can sympathize with Tisdale, but has “mixed feelings” about the ordeal as she has known Duff, who is “very sweet”, for 10 years.
“I don’t think she’s that mean of a girl, but it’s a dynamic, right? It’s a dynamic. So obviously I feel for Ashley,” Crystal revealed, adding, “I feel for everyone[involved]. And it’s also weirdly inevitable.”
Part of Crystal doesn’t understand why the “High School Musical” star went public with her issues, but she believes it started “an important conversation.”
“We’ve all been through this on some level,” she asserted, adding, “Reading Ashley’s article reminded me of that time… and I’m like, ‘What was that all about?'” I tried so hard and was so stressed out wanting to be a part of something I no longer belonged to, but I don’t care anymore. ”
