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Mandy Moore is speaking candidly about how becoming a mother has shifted some of her closest relationships, revealing that certain friendships have naturally changed as life circumstances evolved.
The actress and singer, 41, shared her reflections during a recent appearance on Cameron Rogers' Conversations With Cam podcast, where the two discussed how parenthood can quietly reshape social circles. During the conversation, Moore asked Rogers, "Do you feel like you have seen a friendship sort of take a different course?" She explained that many of the people she feels closest to now are parents navigating the same stage of life. "I have friends who have kids that are older, let's say. And I have found that the people I am closest with in my life right now are people who are kind of at the same chapter of their lives as parents," she said.
Moore, who shares sons August "Gus," 4, and Oscar "Ozzie," 3, and daughter Louise, 16 months, with husband Taylor Goldsmith, admitted that the shift has been emotionally complex. "Like, we have kids the same age and I've had to sort of mourn in a way, not the loss of those friendships, but like how they've, they've changed," she added.
Rogers echoed her sentiments, noting that this evolution is often unavoidable. "I have friends who have kids the exact same age as mine, I have friends who have kids that are older and I have friends who don't have children and don't know if they want to have children," Rogers said. "I think that it's no one's fault and no one's doing anything wrong... But the reality is you're going to be in more contact with the people whose kids are your exact age."
Moore acknowledged that this realization initially caught her off guard. "I've been surprised by it," she said, explaining that she once assumed all her relationships would continue in the same way. She noted that day-to-day parenting moments now shape who she instinctively turns to for support.
Her comments arrive amid wider conversations about motherhood and friendship, sparked in part by Ashley Tisdale's recent essay for The Cut, in which Tisdale detailed her decision to step away from a mom group she described as emotionally unhealthy. While Tisdale did not name anyone, social media speculation followed, as she has previously shared moments with Moore, Hilary Duff and Meghan Trainor. Tisdale's representative later denied that the essay was about those friends.
During the podcast, Moore also spoke about the origins of her own mom group, crediting Duff for bringing parents together. "I think the origin story is all kind of having pandemic babies," Moore said. "Hilary Duff is a very dear friend of mine." She recalled how Duff pushed for connection, saying, "She was just like a boss... 'We need a music class. We need community.'"
What began as simple gatherings evolved into lasting bonds. "People get together for holidays, people get together for birthdays," Moore said. "We go to the zoo... all the things you do collectively as a friends group."
