Ashley Tisdale French's former mom group is ready to move on after her viral essay about their alleged "toxic" dynamic put all eyes on them. "The moms remaining in the group wish Ashey no ill will," a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. The group of women - which many believe includes celebs Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff and Meghan Trainor among others in the Los Angeles area - were "surprised" by the essay, as they "thought the friendship faded organically," the insider says. "There was no big blowout moment so this came as a surprise to them," the source adds. What Really Happened Between Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore As the world rang in the new year, French, 40, caused quite a stir writing an essay titled "Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group" for New York Magazine's The Cut published on January 1. In the piece, the former Disney Channel star recalled feeling "frozen out of the group" after allegedly being "left out of a couple of group hangs" she saw taking place via social media recaps. "I told myself it was all in my head, and it wasn't a big deal," French wrote, not naming anyone in the mom group. "And yet, I could sense a growing distance between me and the other members of the group, who seemed to not even care that I wasn't around much." The Frenshe founder noted that after she was once again left out of a group event, she texted the group that "this is too high school for me" and removed herself from the unit. (Ashley shares daughters Jupiter, 4, and Emerson, 16 months, with husband Christopher French.) Ashley Tisdale French, Hilary Duff, Meghan Trainor and more mom friends. Courtesy of Hilary Duff/Instagram After the story was published, fans began to speculate who Ashley was talking about. Many pointed to Moore, 41, Duff, 38, and Trainor, 32, who were all part of a mom group with Ashley that originated in 2021 after they all welcomed babies around the same time. Ashley's rep denied to TMZ that the three celebrities in question were who the actress was referring to in her essay. However, rumors continued to circulate after eagle-eyed fans noticed that Ashley no longer follows Duff or Moore on Instagram. "The root of the issues was that some of the women just became closer friends with each other, and Ashley started to feel left out," a source exclusively told Us on Thursday, January 8. "There were times when hangouts or get-togethers were organized at the last minute, often casual outings or quick dinners, and Ashley wasn't included. There wasn't any bad intent. Friendships naturally changed and some people bonded more than others." Who Is in Ashley Tisdale's Celeb Mom Group? Everything to Know The insider noted, "Hilary and Mandy are extremely close, along with Kelsey Deenihan (their makeup artist), who is in the group, and a few others, and that dynamic naturally shaped the group." That bond allegedly "made Ashley feel like she didn't quite fit in with the rest of the circle," per the source. As Ashley's remarks made headlines, Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, sounded off on the drama. (Duff and Koma, 38, share daughters Banks, 7, Mae, 4, and Townes, 20 months. Duff also shares son Luca, 11, with ex-husband Mike Comrie.) He poked fun at Ashley's profile by sharing a picture of himself on a fake magazine cover with the headline: "A mom group tell-all through a father's eyes: When You're the Most Self-Obsessed Tone Deaf Person on Earth, Other Moms Tend to Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers." Stars React to Ashley Tisdale's Viral Mom Group Drama: Willa Ford and More Trainor, who shares sons Riley, 4, and Barry, 2, with husband Daryl Sabara, also commented on the drama, denying she had any part in what transpired. "Me still trying to convince everyone I'm not involved in the mom group drama," she wrote alongside a Tuesday, January 13, TikTok clip from Stranger Things in which one character tries to convince the others that their pal is evil. The singer also captioned the post, "I swear I'm innocent," with a praying hands emoji. While Moore hasn't directly addressed Ashley's essay, she did open up on Wednesday, January 14, about changing friendships. Chelsea Handler Defends Mandy Moore Amid Ashley Tisdale's 'Toxic' Mom Claims "I have friends who have kids that are older, and I have found that the people I'm closest with in my life right now are people who are at the same chapter of their lives as parents," Moore explained during an appearance on the "Conversations With Cam" podcast. The This Is Us alum, who shares sons Gus, 4, Ozzie, 3, and daughter Louise, 15 months, with husband Taylor Goldsmith, told host Cameron Rogers that when some of her friendships changed due to a variety of reasons it "caught me off guard." Moore also touched upon her mom group, which she confirmed was formed by Duff. "We evolved from music class to movement class to just all hanging out. People get together for holidays, people get together for birthdays, we go to the zoo ... all the things you do collectively as a