Ashley Tisdale will soon become a mother, she announced on Instagram Thursday. This will be the first child for Tisdale and her composer husband of six years, Christopher French. The couple
confirmed the news on the 'gram with matching captionless Instagrams where Tisdale can be seen cradling her baby bump.
Below, what you need to know about the music producer, from his duets with High School Musical's Tisdale to his former relationship with another A-list actress.
French and Tisdale have been married for six years.
The couple was first linked in 2012 before getting engaged eight months later on top of the Empire State Building. They married in a rustic ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, on September 8, 2014. Vanessa Hudgens served as one of Tisdale's six bridesmaids.
View this post on InstagramBest day of my life! Introducing Mr and Mrs French Sept 8, 2014 Shot by @corbingurkin
A post shared by Ashley Tisdale (@ashleytisdale) on
French commemorated the couple's sixth wedding anniversary on Instagram, sharing a photo of the couple from their wedding day. "Six years. There are so many moments, so many tiny fragile little moments that I can look at specifically. Amazing, beautiful bright ones and hard, cloudy difficult ones... we just keep getting closer. I really can’t imagine life without you @ashleytisdale. I love you endlessly, Happy Anniversary ✨❤️✨ (fav ? by @eliastahan thank you brother)," he captioned the post.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Christopher French (@cmfrench) on
It was love at first sight for the couple.
Although the pair was engaged after less than a year together, Tisdale said she knew French was the one even earlier. In a 2013 interview with Ryan Seacrest, she explained, "I've obviously been in long relationships in the past. But I think because of knowing what I wanted, I wouldn't have gone into a relationship if it wasn't what I wanted. I think from the moment that him and I met, I just knew it. I was like, 'Okay, this is the guy,' and he knew the same thing. It doesn't get any better. I just can't explain it."
The couple has been going strong ever since, sharing a particularly sweet moment together in December 2019. Tisdale captured French's reaction to watching High School Musical 2 for the first time on her Instagram Story.
French is a music composer on TV series and movies.
Although he may not have been a fan of High School Musical, the couple connect on their musical sensibilities. French is a music producer and has composed songs for several films and TV shows. Notably, he composed the theme music for the Freeform series Young & Hungry, which Tisdale executive produced. He also worked on music for the Snap show The Dead Girls Detective Agency.
You may have seen French on Tisdale's YouTube channel.
During their marriage, Tisdale and French have collaborated together musically. He produced the 2013 song "You're Always Here" for his then-fiancée. And in 2016, French began appearing on Tisdale's YouTube channel for her Music Sessions series. Sometimes he accompanied his wife while she sang duets with Vanessa Hudgens and Lea Michele. Other times, the couple would duet on songs including Paramore's "Still Into You" and "Issues" by Julia Michaels.
He was also the lead singer of the alternative rock band Annie Automatic.
French has had a longtime love of music. The bio on his website states that French, born in Northern California, began playing guitar as a teenager and touring with alternative rock bands. He attended the Musician's Institute for Recording Engineering in Los Angeles as well as the Berklee College of Music for Film Scoring & Orchestration.
In 2009, French founded Annie Automatic. The band's music catalogue can be found on Spotify, including a duet the group recorded with French's former girlfriend Kaley Cuoco.
French was previously linked to Kaley Cuoco.
Before dating Tisdale, French was linked to The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco. According to Us Weekly, the pair dated for about a year before splitting in 2012. During their time relationship, the couple attended the People's Choice Awards and a Golden Globes after party together. Cuoco married equestrian Karl Cook in June 2018.
He's a big dog person.
When French isn't composing music, he's spending time with the couple's two dogs. A scroll through French's Instagram will make his love for their pets evident. In fact, both Ziggy Stardust and Sushi Sue have their own Instagram accounts, with Tisdale and French listed as the parents.
View this post on InstagramMy hubby and my pups ❤️ could they be any cuter?
A post shared by Ashley Tisdale (@ashleytisdale) on
He and Tisdale are set to become parents.
About a week after the pair celebrated six years of marriage, both French and Tisdale confirmed she's expecting a baby. They each shared photos of themselves dressed in all-white, where Tisdale's baby bump is on full-display. French posted a captionless photo of himself with his hands on Tisdale's shoulders, adoringly looking down at her pregnant stomach.