Ashley Tisdale welcomed her first child, daughter Jupiter Iris French, with her now-husband of almost a decade, Christopher French, in March 2021. The couple announced the news they were expecting in September 2020 on Instagram with matching captionless Instagrams.
They have since settled into parenthood and have enjoyed a love story of over 10 years.
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 nine 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.
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.
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 and Tisdale shared photos with their 2-year-old daughter Jupiter to celebrate 2024 beginning.
“Happy New Year!! I am so grateful for these two perfect ladies, and to be very and healthy so I can enjoy life with them 💖🥳 what are you grateful for at the start of this new year??” he wrote on Instagram.
Tisdale shared a photo of the family of three on her own Instagram, too:
On Dec. 28, 2023, she shared a photo of French and Jupiter together: “My two favorite humans in the whole world ❤️” she wrote.
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.
He and Tisdale became parents in March 2021 to daughter Jupiter.
Tisdale wrote about welcoming their daughter Jupiter Iris French in a candid Instagram: “Wow how is this already a week ago?? How Is my baby one week old? When they say it takes a village it truly does. I had an amazing labor experience, of course there was pain but I set my intentions that morning and it was exactly how I wanted Jupiter to enter the world. Calm, peaceful, letting go of fear and being super present. I honestly couldn’t have had that mindset if it werent for my amazing doula @lbreggy, she was the game changer. Flameless candles, fairy lights, massages, but it’s her presence that calms you. My dr is such a badass and I trusted that I could let go of any fears because I knew if something came up she could handle it. The nurses at Cedars that took such great care of us and of course my amazing husband @cmfrench who at times I looked at in my deepest pain and I could see he was scared but his calming nature and breathing techniques help me calm down. It was just amazing for both @cmfrench and I to see all these women cheering me on. It was powerful and life changing.”
The couple announced they were expecting their second child on March 26, 2024.
Tisdale shared news of her and French expanding their family with a simple pregnancy announcement Instagram. “We can’t wait to meet you 💫,” she wrote to their second child.
French shared more photos, writing, “Beyond grateful. Thank you my beautiful love @ashleytisdale for another baby French 💘”