Meghan Trainor Reveals Ashley Tisdale Apologized Over 'Toxic' Mom Essay, Admits 'I Was a Bad Mom Friend'

Published April 16, 2026

Over three months after Ashley Tisdale, known for her role in High School Musical, penned an essay for The Cut describing her challenging experiences with a group of mothers—some of whom, including Meghan Trainor, were soon identified by social media users—the singer-songwriter has now shared her perspective. “I was a bad mom friend,” Trainor admitted, clarifying that the mothers involved “had so many events” and were “amazing and always supportive of one another,” but due to her own hectic schedule, she “never attended.”

“The last time I saw them was about a year ago, and I invited them to dinner and covered the bill because I wanted to say, ‘I’m sorry for not being present,’” Trainor explained. “Then that [essay] surfaced, and I was like, ‘What?!?’ I saw my face everywhere, and then realized I wasn’t even really involved… But some moms in that circle didn’t want any spotlight or attention. It was really tough for many moms, and I felt terrible.”

Despite this, the singer also expressed sympathy for Ashley, saying she “felt bad that Ashley was ever that upset” about the group’s situation. “I think it was mostly a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding,” Trainor said. “I don’t fully know what happened, but I wish them all well. I reached out to all of them. Ashley messaged me, ‘I’m sorry your name got dragged into this.’ And I responded, ‘It’s okay, girl. The world is a strange, wild place, and people just want something to gossip about.’”