Ashley Tisdale has received public support from Dylan Efron, brother of her former High School Musical co-star Zac Efron, amidst ongoing controversy surrounding her recent essay about experiencing exclusion from a "toxic" mother's group.
Dylan Efron's Cautious Yet Supportive Comments
During an appearance on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live this week, Dylan Efron, 33, was asked by a fan for his perspective on the situation involving Tisdale's public fallout with her circle of mom friends. The younger Efron brother responded with measured diplomacy, stating: 'I try to stay out of that, so I don't know too much. All I know is Ashley, since I was a kid, she's been so sweet to me.'
He continued with a characteristically gentle defence: 'So I can't envision her doing anything malicious to the mom group. Hopefully, it's just a misunderstanding? I honestly don't know what's going on, though.' When host Andy Cohen suggested the situation might involve 'more than a misunderstanding,' Dylan reiterated his limited knowledge while maintaining his positive view of Tisdale's character: 'I honestly don't know what happened. All I can say is she's been so sweet.'
Tisdale's Detailed Account of Exclusion
Earlier this month, Tisdale, 40, published a candid essay in The Cut detailing her painful experience of gradually being excluded from a group of mother friends. The actress, who shares daughters Jupiter, four, and Emerson, one, with husband Christopher French, wrote extensively about the dynamics that developed.
'Here's the thing nobody prepared me for: Mom groups can turn toxic,' Tisdale explained. 'Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior. I know this from personal experience.'
Specific Instances of Exclusion
The former Disney star described several specific incidents that contributed to her feeling ostracised. She revealed there were group text chains that deliberately 'didn't include everyone' and social gatherings to which she received no invitation.
'I was certain that I'd found my village,' Tisdale reflected. 'But over time, I began to wonder whether that was really true. 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.'
Another particularly telling moment occurred during a dinner party hosted by one of the mothers. 'I realized where I sat with her – which was at the end of the table, far from the rest of the women,' Tisdale recalled. 'I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.'
Background and Industry Reaction
Tisdale, who famously portrayed Sharpay Evans opposite Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in the beloved High School Musical franchise during the early 2000s, initially experienced a public separation from several high-profile women including Hilary Duff, Gaby Dalkin, Meghan Trainor and Mandy Moore.
An industry insider speaking to PEOPLE magazine offered perspective on the situation: 'It was a misalignment of values that Ashley decided to make public. Friends naturally drift apart. It didn't warrant a dramatic breakup text.'
Tisdale's Previous Commentary
Prior to publishing her essay in The Cut, Tisdale had addressed themes of friendship on her personal blog, which sparked speculation among fans about which relationships she might be referencing. In her newer essay, she directly addressed this speculation with characteristic humour.
'It's one [topic] that has also made wannabe online sleuths try to do some investigating like they're on CSI,' she wrote. '(please, don't even try – whatever you think is true isn't even close).'
The situation highlights the complex social dynamics that can develop within parent friendship circles, even among public figures, and demonstrates how childhood connections – like that between Tisdale and the Efron family – can endure through adult controversies.
