High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale’s toxic mum group experience and what faith teaches us about inclusion

Becky Hunter Kelm reflects on Ashley Tisdale’s experience and explores why mums need villages marked by kindness, inclusion, and grace rather than mean-girl dynamics.

In the words of High School Musical’s anthem, when it comes to mums juggling it all, we should be ‘all in this together’. Sadly, this wasn’t the case recently for Ashley Tisdale (aka Sharpay in Disney’s High School Musical), as she spoke out about leaving a mum group due to its toxic behaviour that would ‘bring her to tears.’

As a 40-year-old mother of two, Ashley had recounted how finding a ‘village of moms’ for support is beneficial after she had her first daughter in 2021. But in a recent article for the Cut, she said this new mum group (which included other well-known celebrities) reminded her of ‘high school cliques’ and ‘left her feeling excluded at a vulnerable time.’