Hilary Duff had plenty of support during her sold-out Los Angeles concert this week, thanks to a star-studded group of celebrity moms who turned out to celebrate her long-awaited return to music. But the highly publicized girls’ night out is drawing attention for another reason. The appearance comes just months after former Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale opened up about feeling excluded from a tight-knit mom group that many fans speculated included Hilary Duff and several of the women cheering her on from the audience.
Duff’s second night at the Kia Forum in Inglewood became a reunion of sorts for her famous circle of friends.
Celebrity chef and cookbook author Gaby Dalkin shared a group photo from the event, calling herself a “stage mom” while celebrating Duff’s performance. “We love you @hilaryduff,” Dalkin wrote alongside the image. The group included Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor, hairstylist Barb Thompson, artist Amanda Lillywhite, Janice Gott, makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan Fisher, and beauty expert Whitney Wagner Hartley.
Moore later reposted the image to her own Instagram Stories, writing, “I love my fwwwweeennnsss.” The actress also shared footage from the concert, including a moment when balloons fell from the ceiling as fans sang along to Duff’s hit “What Dreams Are Made Of.”
“Delivering the degree of joy to 18K people is literally superhero level,” Moore wrote. “We love you and are grateful you are back doing what you’re born to do!!” Trainor echoed the sentiment, telling followers that Duff was one of the reasons she pursued a career in pop music.
Why The Group’s Appearance Is Getting Attention
The public display of friendship comes months after Ashley Tisdale sparked widespread discussion about friendship dynamics within celebrity mom circles.
In a January essay published by New York Magazine’s The Cut, Tisdale reflected on her experience leaving what she described as a “toxic mom group.” While she never identified the women involved, readers quickly began speculating that she was referring to the same celebrity friend group frequently seen with Duff.
Tisdale revealed that after becoming a mother, she was eager to connect with women navigating similar life experiences. At first, she believed she had found exactly what she was looking for. “I felt a sense of belonging,” she wrote. “And it made me hopeful about finding the balance between fulfilling work and family life, since all these cool women were able to do it.”
According to Tisdale, however, things eventually changed.
Ashley Tisdale Said She Began Feeling ‘Frozen Out’
The actress explained that she gradually noticed herself being excluded from certain gatherings. Rather than learning about invitations directly, she often discovered events had taken place after seeing photos on social media. Tisdale said the experience triggered feelings she hadn’t felt since her teenage years.
“Here I was sitting alone one night after getting my daughter to bed, thinking, Maybe I’m not cool enough?” she wrote. “All of a sudden, I was in high school again, feeling totally lost as to what I was doing ‘wrong’ to be left out.”
One of the more surprising revelations involved a gathering that was allegedly planned during her own daughter’s birthday celebration. The experience ultimately led her to reevaluate the friendships and walk away from the group.
Tisdale Tried To Stop Fans From Identifying The Group
Despite the speculation that followed publication of the essay, Tisdale repeatedly urged readers not to try to identify the women she was discussing. She specifically warned “wannabe online sleuths” against attempting to uncover the group’s members. “Please, don’t even try, whatever you think is true isn’t even close,” she wrote.
Still, online speculation continued, particularly because Tisdale and Duff had publicly shared moments together after both becoming mothers in 2021.
Hilary Duff’s Comeback Tour Continues To Build Momentum
While the friendship speculation continues to generate interest, Duff’s focus appears to remain firmly on her music comeback.
The “Lucky Me Tour” marks her first major tour in nearly two decades, ending a lengthy absence from the road following her 2008 “Dignity Tour.” The tour has become a major nostalgia event for fans who grew up watching Duff on Disney Channel and listening to hits like “Come Clean,” “So Yesterday,” and “What Dreams Are Made Of.”
The sold-out Los Angeles shows represented one of the biggest stops on the tour so far, drawing thousands of fans and some of Duff’s closest celebrity friends.
