NEWSDylan Efron Defends Ashley Tisdale Amid Toxic Mom Group Scandal: 'She’s Nothing But Sweet!'
Dylan Efron defended Ashley Tisdale and recalled how sweet she is amid her toxic mom group drama.
Jan. 27 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Dylan Efron is stepping up for Ashley Tisdale as she navigates the chaos of a toxic mom group.
The little brother of Zac Efron made an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, where he was put on the spot by a caller regarding the recent controversy, and he made his support for the blonde babe crystal clear.
Dylan Efron backs Ashley Tisdale amid the toxic mom group controversy.
“I can’t imagine my brother’s former High School Musical costar ever doing anything malicious,” Dylan said, recalling how sweet Ashley was to him while growing up.
Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron starred in the hit movie ‘High School Musical.’
Dylan suggested that the entire scandal might stem from a misunderstanding, adding, “I genuinely can’t see where the drama would come from on her end.”
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Ashley Tisdale felt she was being left out of her mom group.
As always, host Andy Cohen couldn’t resist a playful jab. He joked that maybe Ashley had "too much time on her hands" after being ousted from the mom group, insinuating that this might have sparked the chaos.
Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor are reportedly part of the so-called ‘toxic’ mom group.
While the conversation stayed light-hearted, the underlying drama remained serious.
Earlier this month, Ashley shared an essay that online sleuths speculate references her experiences within the mom group, which includes fellow celebrities Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor.
"If a mom group consistently leaves you feeling hurt, drained or left out, it’s not the mom group for you," she wrote in the piece published on January 1. "Choosing to step away doesn’t make you mean or judgmental. It makes you honest with yourself. It’s also worth remembering that friendships, like all relationships, have seasons."
"To be clear, I never considered the moms to be bad people. (Maybe one.)," she continued. "But I do think our group dynamic stopped being healthy and positive — for me anyway."
Hilary's husband, Matthew Koma, even trolled Ashley on Tuesday, January 6, by superimposing his face over the photo used in her essay in which she donned an all-black outfit while seated on a couch.
Matthew added The Cut’s logo to the photoshopped image, along with a mock headline that read, "When You're The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers." A sub-headline underneath read, "A Mom Group Tell All Through A Father's Eyes."
