Ashley Tisdale, best known for her role in High School Musical, has officially changed her name to Ashley French. The 40-year-old actress announced the change on Monday, adopting her husband Christopher French's surname after their 2014 wedding.
In a video on Instagram, where her handle is now @AshleyTisdaleFrench, she explained: 'I've been Ashley French for so long at home. But I've never really changed [my name] publicly because everybody knows me as Ashley Tisdale. I just felt like it was time for people to know me for me, and not just for a character or a celebrity.'
The name change also aligns with her website, By Ashley French, launched in October. The site documents her life in her 40s and as a mother to Jupiter, four, and Emerson, 13 months. 'I've never really been this intimate before, but I have so much to talk about, especially now in my 40s and having my kids and being a parent, running a company,' she noted.
Ashley said she created the website after becoming disillusioned with social media. 'For so long, I have shared so much of my life on social media. I just think Instagram has changed a lot,' she added, citing concerns about authenticity and negativity.
When launching By Ashley French, she described it as 'a calm corner of the internet where home, well-being, style and gathering feel simple and lived-in,' focusing on 'thoughtful choices, routines that steady the day and style that lasts beyond a season.'
