Ashley Tisdale reveals she’s publicly changing her name

Ashley Tisdale is no longer going to be Ashley Tisdale.

The 40-year-old's surname is just as iconic as her acting career, with hit films like the High School Musical series, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, and Donnie Darko under her belt.

Since then, Ashley's life has taken a different turn: she married her husband, Christopher French, in 2014, and the couple are parents to two young daughters - four-year-old Jupiter Iris and Emerson Clover, 13 months.

She also launched her own lifestyle and wellness brand, Being Frenshe, or Frenshe, in 2020, which, according to its website, aims to 'uncomplicate wellness and empower our audience to be their best, authentic selves'.

Speaking of authenticity, this was one of the reasons why the former Disney Channel star said she's officially changing her name.

The star is ditching her maiden name, Tisdale, and is embracing her hubby's surname, French, which is a move she's already leaned into professionally. She's also just launched her website, By Ashley French, which already uses only her marital name.

The site's description read: "On socials, you’ve seen glimpses into my world, but I wanted to share a fuller picture. That led me to create a space that feels more personal, where I can be my most authentic self.

"By Ashley French is an introduction to who I am now, and a place where I can share the things that inspire me, ground me, and make everyday life feel a little more meaningful."

She added: "As for the name? When I got married, I took my husband’s last name. This project felt like the perfect moment to embrace this version of myself and celebrate everything that’s come with it."

The actress then went on to share an Instagram reel yesterday, captioned: "A quick check in," to update her 16 million followers on the decision.

Ashley told fans: "It's been a minute. I finally launched By Ashley French. I've never really been this intimate before, but I have so much to talk about, especially now in my forties and having my kids, being a parent, running a company."

She then asked her followers what they want to see from her, explaining what she's been working on at the moment, which is mainly her wellness brand.

Ashley has just released her Moon Milk collection - a fragrance blend featuring notes of creamy oat milk, warm vanilla, nutmeg, and ginger flower.

The star gushed: "It is so exciting cause I know everybody's been waiting for that. I did a cute little My Malibu list of places to go and that is on my site By Ashley French."

She delved into exactly what prompted her to make the decision, as she explained: "I've been Ashley French for so long at home, but I never really changed publicly cause everyone knows me as Ashley Tisdale.

"But I just felt like it was time for people to know me for me and not just a character or like a celebrity."

She continued: "For so long, I have shared so much of my life on social media. I just think Instagram has changed a lot. I should be honest, at this point, you don't know what's real, what's a bot, and everyone has something to say, and it might not be positive.

"Not that I want to block out the negativity, but I felt like in order to protect my peace, I didn't want to keep sharing in that way."

Fans have rushed to the comments section to praise the star, with one Instagram user writing: "Love this!! Just made the decision to also go by my married name professionally. It feels so much more representative of ALL of me versus what the internet knows me as."

While a second agreed: "Authenticity looks amazing on you", and a third wrote: "Love this."