Hilary Duff has come clean.
The pop star has finally responded to a viral essay in The Cut in which High School Musical’s Ashley Tisdale revealed that she and her mom friend group broke up after their relationship turned sour.
Tisdale didn’t name names, but eagle-eyed fans quickly spotted throwback photos of the Frenchie founder with Duff, Meghan Trainor, Mandy Moore and more.
“I mean, this is nothing new to me. I’ve been going through this since I was probably 15 years old and started being followed by paparazzi,” the “Lizzie McGuire” star said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Friday. “Everything will start to be documented and everyone will know my life and all the players involved in it.”
“So the kind of stories that are in the news are not things that happen to normal people who might have grown up and become actors. And now it’s escalated by TikTok trending stars who need clickbait,” Duff, 38, continued.
“It’s difficult because you’re like, ‘Wait, that person is kind of saying the right thing,’ or, ‘Oh, that person doesn’t know what they’re talking about.’
When asked if he could mute the online noise, the artist replied, “It depends.”
Duff’s family, including husband Matthew Koma, and children Luca, 13, Banks, seven, Mae, four, and Townes, 20 months, have banned her from leaving the house.
“Knowing that I can open my back door and play soccer with my family, take a bath, or go get eggs from the chickens, that’s what life is about,” she added. “On days when something crazy happens, I go home and quiet the noise.”
In December 2025, Tisdale published a blog post titled “You’re Allowed to Leave Your Mom Group,” which took the internet by storm.
“When I became a mom, I wanted connection as much as I wanted sleep. So I did what many people do: I joined a mom group,” the “He Said She Said” singer, 40, said in the post. “But what no one prepared me for is that mom groups can be toxic.”
Ms. Tisdale said, “Not because the mothers themselves are toxic people, but because the actions of mean girls move the situation to an ugly place. I know this from personal experience.”
Tisdale, who has daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 1, with husband Christopher French, recalled to The Cut that she texted the group saying, “This is too high school for me and I don’t want to participate anymore.”
While Duff has so far remained silent about Tisdale’s accusations, Koma, 38, appeared to criticize the “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” alum on his own social media.
The Grammy winner shared a fake mock-up cover of herself on the cover of The Cut on her Instagram Story.
Above the image of him in a thoughtful pose, a fake headline read: “Group of moms tells everything through dad’s eyes: When you’re the most self-centered tone-deaf person on the planet, other moms tend to shift their focus to their actual toddlers.”
He added in the caption, “Read our new interview with @thecut.”
