Mandy Moore is in a reflective season of life, and it is one many parents will instantly recognize. The “This Is Us” star is navigating the emotional shifts that come with raising three young children, and that includes watching some of her long-standing friendships take a new shape.
On the Wednesday, January 14 episode of Cameron Rogers’ “Conversations With Cam” podcast, Moore, 41, spoke candidly about how becoming a parent has quietly redefined her social world. What she shared felt raw, honest, and deeply relatable to anyone who has ever tried to balance friendship with diapers, nap schedules, and preschool drop-offs.
Moore is mom to sons August, 4, and Oscar, 3, and daughter Louise, 15 months, whom she shares with husband Taylor Goldsmith. Life with three kids under five, as she explained, naturally pulls her toward people who are walking through the same stage of parenting right now.
Why Mandy Moore Feels Closest to Parents in the Same Life Stage
Moore told Rogers that the people she feels closest to today are not necessarily the ones she has known the longest. “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. Like, we have kids the same age. I’ve had to sort of mourn in a way, not the loss of those friendships, but how they’ve changed,” she said.
Rogers assured Moore that moms with children close in age tend to gravitate toward each other. "I have friends who have kids the exact same age as mine. I have friends who have kids that are older. … The reality is, you’re going to be more in contact with people who are your [kids’] exact age,” said the podcast host.
Mandy explained that when you are in the thick of early parenthood, the things that fill your mind are incredibly specific. Whether it is deciding on a Halloween costume or figuring out bedtime routines, those tiny moments are easier to share with someone who is also living them.
Moore said she has had to mourn in a small way, not the loss of friendships, but the way they have changed. That emotional shift caught her by surprise. She admitted she always assumed her relationships would stay the same, only to realize that who she reaches out to first now looks very different.
The Emotional Reality of Growing Apart While Still Caring
What makes Moore’s comments resonate is how gently she framed this evolution. She was clear that her friendships still matter. They simply do not always fit into her current daily life in the same way.
She described how some friends are no longer the first people she would text when one of her kids changes their mind for the seventh time about what they want to be for Halloween. That does not mean those friends are less important. It just means the context of her life has changed.
This kind of emotional adjustment is one that many parents face but rarely talk about out loud. Moore’s honesty makes it feel less lonely.
Social Media and the Pressure of Celebrity Mom Groups
Moore’s comments come as she has been caught up in online speculation about celebrity mom friendships. Earlier this month, Ashley Tisdale French wrote an essay for The Cut about leaving a mom group that had turned unhealthy. She described feeling left out and watching group hangouts unfold through Instagram posts and Stories.
Even though Tisdale French never named names, fans began connecting dots because she had previously shared playdates with Moore, Hilary Duff, and Meghan Trainor. Her representative later clarified that the essay was not about that trio, but the discussion still added fuel to a larger conversation about mom group dynamics.
During her podcast appearance, Moore did not focus on the drama. Instead, she spoke about how the group originally formed and what it meant to her at the time.
How Hilary Duff Helped Create a Supportive Parenting Community
Moore gave credit to Hilary Duff, 38, for bringing the mom group together during the pandemic. “So, I think the origin story is all kind of having pandemic babies,” Moore said. “Hilary Duff is a very dear friend of mine. She and her husband, Matt [Koma], are very close with me and Taylor, my husband. [Duff’s daughter] Mae-Mae was born six weeks after Gus, and she is the ultimate mom. She has four kids now, but at the time, Mae was her third. She was a boss. She was just like, ‘We need a music class. We need community.’ So she started this music class at her house and gathered a group of incredible women, and I brought a few into the fold as well.”
Mandy Moore’s Parenting Journey Feels Refreshingly Honest
What stands out most about Moore’s story is how grounded it feels. Her reflections do not point fingers or create villains. They simply acknowledge a truth about life after kids. People move in and out of our closest circles based on where we are, not because of a lack of love, but because of changing needs.
For fans who have followed Moore since her early music days and her breakout role on “This Is Us,” this chapter of her life feels especially relatable. She is not just sharing cute moments with her kids. She is opening up about the complicated, tender reality of growing into motherhood and letting relationships transform along the way.