Ashley Tisdale’s decade-old real estate deal with Haylie Duff has resurfaced for one reason: it is now being read through the lens of a very public conversation about friendship dynamics, motherhood, and a so-called “toxic” mom group.
The home sale itself happened years before any of the current headlines. But because Haylie Duff is Hilary Duff’s sister, and Hilary Duff has been pulled into online speculation tied to Tisdale’s recent essay, the property transaction has turned into a fresh talking point.
Below is what reputable reporting actually supports, and what is still inference or internet guesswork.
Why this home sale is back in the news now
In early January 2026, Tisdale published a personal essay for The Cut titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” describing how a once supportive circle of mothers became emotionally draining and exclusionary.
Tisdale did not name individuals in the piece. Still, speculation spread online about which celebrities may have been part of the group, partly based on past social posts and public appearances. Outlets covering the story have also noted that her representative has pushed back on assumptions about specific people being targeted.
As the debate grew, older connections were reexamined, including a real estate transaction linking Tisdale to the Duff family.
The 2016 sale: What was sold, where, and for how much
According to People, Tisdale sold a Cape Cod-style home in Studio City, Los Angeles, to Haylie Duff in 2016 for about $2.7 million.
That sale is also documented in earlier real estate coverage from 2016. Forbes, through its Trulia real estate column, reported at the time that Haylie Duff purchased a five-bedroom, six-bathroom Studio City home for roughly $2.695 million, and that the property had been owned and listed by Ashley Tisdale.
In other words, this is not a rumor. The buyer-seller link has been publicly reported as a matter of record for years, and it is only “news” again because of the current celebrity friendship discourse.
What the reporting says about the property
Coverage of the home has focused on its size and amenities rather than any sensitive specifics like an address.
People described the Studio City home as a five-bed, six-bath property with features including a pool and a home theater. People also reported that the home was later sold again in 2019 for about $3.1 million.
Realtor.com has also revisited the transaction in the context of the current headlines, summarizing the same basic arc: Tisdale sold the Studio City home to Haylie Duff in 2016 for roughly $2.7 million.
The key point is simple: it was a high-end Los Angeles home sale between two public figures, and it predates the “mom group” story by nearly a decade.
The “mom group” essay: What Tisdale actually claimed
Tisdale’s essay describes a shift from a practical, supportive connection among mothers to a dynamic that felt cliquish and stressful. She frames it as a personal boundary decision rather than a campaign against specific individuals.
ABC News summarized the essay in similar terms, noting that she wrote about leaving a mom group she experienced as “toxic,” and explaining her reasons in her own words.
If you are writing professionally, this distinction matters: the strongest sourcing here is for what Tisdale said about her experience, not for the identity of everyone in the group. Anything beyond that can slide into speculation quickly.
How Hilary Duff’s circle got pulled into the conversation
Even though Tisdale did not name names, multiple outlets have reported that online speculation pointed toward a celebrity friend group that may have included stars like Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, and Meghan Trainor. Several reports also note that Tisdale’s rep has denied that certain people were involved or being targeted.
The story escalated further when Hilary Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma, posted an Instagram Story widely interpreted as a direct jab at Tisdale and her essay. People reported that Koma edited imagery and used pointed language in the post, framing it as a response to The Cut piece.
Other mainstream outlets, including The Independent, also covered Koma’s reaction and the language he used.
This is where the “mom drama” label comes from. It is not just the essay. It is the public blowback that followed.
Why the home sale matters to the narrative, and why it still might not mean much
Here is the honest take: the property sale is interesting mainly because it creates a clean, clickable connection between Tisdale and the Duff family.
But a home purchase does not automatically equal a close friendship, loyalty, or involvement in a private social group years later. People sell homes for practical reasons. People buy homes because the listing fits their needs. The internet is trying to make it a symbolic plot point because it is convenient.
What we can responsibly say is narrower:
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Tisdale sold a Studio City home to Haylie Duff in 2016 for about $2.7 million.
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Tisdale’s 2026 essay reignited discussion about a celebrity mom circle, and the Duff orbit became part of the speculation and response cycle.
Anything beyond that, like “the home sale proves they were part of the same mom group” or “this explains the fallout,” is not supported as a documented fact in the reporting above.
What happens next
Unless the people involved speak directly, most of the remaining “timeline” will be built from inference, social media activity, and unnamed source commentary. If you want your article to stay professional, keep the structure anchored to verifiable events: the 2016 transaction, the publication of the essay, and the documented public reactions.
