Ashley Tisdale's Husband Christopher French Offers Support Amid 'Toxic Mom Group' Fallout
French states his wife is 'doing fine' following Tisdale's public account of leaving a difficult social circle.
Ashley Tisdale's husband, Christopher French, has publicly stated that the actress is "doing fine" in the aftermath of her widely publicized departure from a so-called "toxic mom group." French, 44, spoke with Page Six on Wednesday, affirming his confidence in his wife of 12 years.
"She's a super smart, capable person and she knows what she's doing, and that's part of what I love about her," French said. He added that he has "no problem supporting [his] wife completely in her ability to deal with her own interpersonal relationships in whatever way feels is right for her, without getting involved or feeling like I have to speak for her."
Tisdale detailed her experience in January in an essay for The Cut titled "Breaking Up with my Toxic Mom Group." In the piece, she described leaving the group due to "mean girl behavior," stating she communicated her departure via text with the phrase, "This is too high school for me."
She explained that seeing photos of group gatherings she was not invited to evoked feelings of insecurity and a sense of being left out, reminiscent of her high school years. "Here I was sitting alone one night after getting my daughter to bed thinking, 'Maybe I'm not cool enough?'" Tisdale wrote.
Tisdale, a mother to daughters Jupiter, five, and Emerson, three, with French, elaborated on the dynamics within parenting groups. "Here's the thing nobody prepared me for: Mom groups can turn toxic," she wrote. "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."
While Tisdale did not name specific members of the group, she had previously referred to a supportive circle of friends that included celebrities such as Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor. Following Tisdale's essay, Duff appeared on the podcast "Call Her Daddy," expressing sadness and surprise at Tisdale's account. "I honestly felt really sad," Duff said. "I was, like, pretty, pretty taken aback and felt just, like, sad."
Duff added that "it sucks to read something that's, like, not true, and it sucks on behalf of six women in all of their lives." Meghan Trainor, in an April interview with Us Weekly, stated she "felt bad for" Tisdale and exchanged texts with her following the controversy. "I felt bad that she was ever that sad, and I think it was just a lot of miscommunication and confusion," Trainor commented. "I don’t know what happened, but I wish them all the best."
