Christopher French Posts Mysterious Update After Ashley Tisdale’s Essay About Challenging Mom Groups

Ashley Tisdale and Christopher French.
Credit:

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Ashley Tisdale French’s husband Christopher French posted a cryptic message on Instagram days after his wife’s “toxic” mom group essay.
• Hilary Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, also weighed in on the conversation surrounding Tisdale’s essay with a post on his Instagram Stories on January 6.
• Tisdale French and French married in 2014 and have two daughters, Emerson, 15 months, and Jupiter, 4.

Ashley Tisdale French’s husband, Christopher French, has addressed the controversy surrounding his wife’s recent essay about a “toxic” mom group. On January 7, the former High School Musical star’s spouse shared a cryptic message on his Instagram Stories shortly after Tisdale’s essay was published in The Cut.

The post, originally from @heycoryallen, highlighted an “underrated life skill”: “Pausing to decide if it’s worth your energy.”

Christopher French’s Instagram Story.

Christopher French/Instagram

In her essay, Tisdale French, who shares two children with French, discussed her experience leaving her mom friend group, which she described as reminiscent of high school dynamics. Originally feeling fortunate to connect with other mothers, she soon found herself excluded from social events and feeling increasingly unwelcome.

Ultimately, Tisdale French decided to leave the group, expressing, “This is too high school for me, and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.” Some members of the group sought to reconcile, while others dismissed her feelings as unfounded.

“To be clear, I never considered the moms to be bad people. (Maybe one.),” she remarked. “But I do think our group dynamic stopped being healthy and positive — for me anyway.”

She acknowledged that while it might have been easier to fade away silently, sharing her experience has resonated with many other mothers. “I now know I’m far from the only mother who’s been brought to tears by members of a group that’s supposed to lift everyone up,” she stated.

Expressing her wish for open dialogue around motherhood, Tisdale French asked, “Why is it so scary to talk about this? Motherhood has enough challenges without having to wonder if the people around you are on your side.”

Ashley Tisdale.

Bryan Bedder/Getty

Shortly after Tisdale’s essay garnered attention, Christopher French expressed his support by commenting on The Cut‘s Instagram post, stating he was “so proud” of her for sharing her story.

Meanwhile, Hilary Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, injected humor into the dialogue by sharing a photoshopped image of himself on Tisdale’s body, captioned with a fictional headline that underscored the conversation around perceived self-absorption among mothers.

As these discussions unfold, Tisdale French’s candid reflections aim to inspire greater openness and support among mothers navigating similar challenges.