Kendra Wilkinson knows the power of a mom group in her Southern California neighborhood.
“I’ve been through it,” Wilkinson, 40, exclusively shared with Us Weekly at Supermodels Unlimited Magazine’s 25th anniversary issue party on Tuesday, January 13. “I know how the mom group stuff goes, especially in Calabasas. The mom group stuff lives heavily in Calabasas.”
After seeing the headlines regarding Ashley Tisdale French’s controversial essay about leaving a toxic mom group, Wilkinson decided to share a glimpse into her own experiences.
“I don’t get along with mom groups. I never fit into mom groups,” she explained at SUR Restaurant & Lounge in West Hollywood, California. “I don’t know why. Anytime I involve myself in a mom group, I always hear from people that everyone starts talking s*** about me, and I’m sitting here, like, ‘What did I do? What?’ It’s something that drives me crazy.”
In a personal essay for The Cut published on January 1, French, 40, recalled being left out of multiple events with her circle of mom friends. As a result, she decided to text the group that “this is too high school for me, and I don’t want to take part in it anymore.”
“You deserve to go through motherhood with people who actually, you know, like you,” she wrote. “And if you have to wonder if they do, here’s the hard-earned lesson I hope you’ll take to heart: It’s not the right group for you.”
As Wilkinson continues raising Hank Jr., 16, and Alijah, 11, with ex-husband Hank Baskett, the reality star-turned-real estate agent wants to avoid the drama — especially with other moms.
“I never want to be a part of that toxicity ever. I just want to keep life simple,” she explained. “You do grow out of stuff like that. I just want to raise my kids and stay peaceful. I don’t want to feel any negativity or drama with anyone. That’s what I’m all about these days.”
Wilkinson first rose to fame as one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends on E!’s The Girls Next Door. In recent years, the former Kendra On Top star has stepped away from reality TV to focus more on building her real estate career.
After documenting so much of her life through the small screen, however, Wilkinson understands why so many fans still love getting updates on her two kids.
“Whenever I post my kids on Instagram, it’s like a time-lapse. All of a sudden, people realize how old they are because time has passed,” she shared. “My two kids are just so humble. They’re so amazing. They’re so smart. They’re so kind. I couldn’t be happier with my kids.”
As for Hank Jr.’s possible future in athletics, Wilkinson confirmed her son continues to shine on the basketball court.
“My son is killing it in basketball and I’m looking forward to seeing where time takes it,” she teased. “He plays basketball for the love of it, but I hope to see him one day thriving in college at a D1 school.”
