I had to kiss Zach Efron on the Sweet Life of Zach and Cody. He >> tried kissing me with his stuff. I was like, “This is Disney Channel. We don’t kiss like that on Disney Channel.” >> I’m Disney royalty. >> We’ve known each other. >> He looked like he was 12 when I met him. And he obviously grew up in, you know, his Rolling Stones cover.
It looks really hot. >> I was like, first of all, she’s my best friend’s boyfriend now. She traffic, oh my we >> knew it’d be a night that we would never forget. Zach was so out of control. He showed up at Ashley Tisdale’s birthday party and he was completely strung out on and he got naked. Things got really weird. Got me.
>> Never felt like this before. Hello everyone. Welcome back to my channel, Secret Society. Today I’m diving deeper than I ever have before into the problematic friendship of BFFs Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hutchkins. And just how Ashley was accused of stealing not one but two of Vanessa’s boyfriends.
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Thank you again so much to Blessa for sponsoring today’s video. And now, let’s get back into this mess. Vanessa Hutchkins and Ashley Tisdale first met in 2004 at the audition for a Sears commercial and their friendship immediately took off. While Vanessa was auditioning for various Disney Channel shows, Ashley was landing the character of Maddie in The Sweet Life of Zach and Cody.
It really wasn’t a matter on if they would be co-stars, it was just a matter of when. On the other side of the coin, Zack Efron met Vanessa Hutchkins during the audition process for High School Musical. If you remember the deep dive, they kept being paired up with each other for final callbacks. But their off-screen storyline was already being carefully crafted by Disney Channel executives.
See, because all three stars were semi-ne to the Disney Channel, they would need to disseminate them throughout their different TV shows and movies across the network to get audiences familiar with them. This would culminate in Zack Efron guest starring on the Sweet Life. Now, if you remember right, Zach plays Ashley’s love interest.
And I’ve mentioned this a lot before, but it really feels like Disney Channel attempting to manufacture a love triangle very similar to Hillary Duff and Lindsay Lohan. In October 2005, before audiences had even witnessed High School Musical, Zach and Vanessa would make their first appearance together at Ashley’s 20th birthday party.
Now, keep in mind, the story line of their new movie is entirely focused on Vanessa and Zach getting together while Ashley’s character ferociously attempts to steal Zach any chance she can get. And this would hit off to a lot of viewers, 7.7 million to be exact. But Disney Channel had no idea it was going to be this successful.
So when they released the movie, the press circuit was really small. But still, the only interviews they really released featured Zach and Ashley together. This already had kids and adults alike subconsciously seeing them as a couple, especially with how flirtatious they would get. >> What is the most Hollywood thing you’ve ever done? >> Well, okay. I I saved up my money.
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>> I have so many of these. >> I have so many of these. >> I saved up my money and I got my first Louis Vuitton. >> You did? >> Hollywood. So very cute. >> First of May. >> Yeah, first of many. >> To supplement the lack of press for the first movie, Disney would create an international tour around the franchise for Ashley, Vanessa, Monnique, and Corbin.
Notably, Zach wasn’t featured in this lineup because Drew Cely sang all of his parts in the first film, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to sing the songs live. Funny enough, they actually did have Drew Cely tour with them instead. And I don’t know about you, but this was definitely common knowledge throughout my school. Everyone was pretty aware it was Drew singing because of the tour.
All that to say, during this tour, Ashley and Vanessa would grow extremely close. Not only had they both made their entrance into the music world, both on Disney’s label, Hollywood Records, but now they were touring day in and day out together. Now, if you’ve seen my Disney Channel videos before, you already know Vanessa and Ashley each had one of the most robust rollouts from the Disney Channel of all time.
Vanessa debuting with her first album, V, and Ashley with Headstrong. Disney Channel ensured these albums had the best producers and writers of the time. Because back then, Disney Channel stars were some of the most famous people on the planet. Even mainstream entertainment news outlets were focused on the High School Musical cast, and all eyes were on Vanessa and Ashley’s bohochic friendship.
From dancing to Gwen Stefani in the airport to ordering McDonald’s in front of swarms of paparazzi. Vanessa and Ashley were some of the first tabloid icons during the TMZ era of the early 2000s. Keep in mind, according to the publicly available timeline, Zach and Vanessa were an item by this point, but never publicly acknowledging it to the press.
definitely keeping some cognitive dissonance for their audience, mostly made up of children. After Ashley and Vanessa got off tour in 2007, Disney immediately brought the entire cast back together to film the second movie in New Mexico. They were now all celebrities in their own right, and life was much different than it was when they filmed their first movie.
For instance, Zach was filming Hairspray and even a punked episode with Ashley. Look at >> this, Jay. This will look good on your little sister, >> dude. Dude, you got you got the box. >> So, here’s what we’ll do. Where did this take? >> I don’t know. >> I’m going to hit up the uh the till and just drop that in the bank.
So, I’m going to grab the box now and just do that. >> It was right here on the desk. I put the cash box right here on the desk. Did you guys >> Where did you move it to? >> Did you guys move this? There was a There was a tan looking metal um >> box. It was like this and it had a handle on it. >> You didn’t. >> Dude, guys walked in and took it.
>> What? What do you mean guys? >> Guys walked in. It was a guy >> a football jersey. We are the only people who are working on shifts right now. It’s >> I put my hand on A STACK OF BIBLES. >> THIS KID SAYS THAT you took the box. >> Okay, listen. We have to call the police. Okay. We have to call the police. >> Cuff them.
Just put them ALL >> AND HE doesn’t have a box with him though, man. >> BECAUSE A GUY CAME IN AND TOOK IT WITH HIM. >> You think you could just let people walk into my store and then take my money? >> YOU’RE HOLDING A PAIR OF THE JEANS THAT I WAS GOING to give you for free and you just let people take money out of my >> dude. Take your jeans.
>> It’s cool. It’s cool. It’s cool. Dude, I made the pattern FOR YOU SPECIAL. YOU GOT >> According to news outlets, Zach and Vanessa grew even closer during this process. But so did Vanessa’s friendship with Ashley, and subsequently Ashley’s friendship with Zach. According to interviews, Vanessa and Ashley were best friends.
Zach and Ashley were best friends, and Zach and Vanessa were still quietly dating. When it came time to release High School Musical 2, it became the largest TV event in Disney Channel history, beginning High School Musical’s dominant era across pop culture. It’s really important for me to differentiate these two movie releases because the first one was such a pleasant surprise, but the second one was a coordinated attack.
It was genuinely a world event like the FIFA Cup or the Super Bowl. And I definitely want to hear all of your stories. I’ve told this before, but my grandparents came over and my entire family watched on the TV just mesmerized. But as for the stars of the film, Ashley and Zach would arrive to the premiere at Disneyland together. And to premiere the first look at the film, Ashley, Vanessa, and Zach would do their most avanguard and criticized photo shoot to date.
A People magazine spread featuring all three of them intimately posed together. The way this was framed as a first look at the second movie, I feel like people genuinely thought this movie was going to go off the rails. Now, after the second movie premiered, Zach and Vanessa would be treated in the media as a couple, even though neither of them had confirmed or denied the status of their relationship.
That’s why in September of 2007, when Vanessa had her infamous photo leak, Zach would be swept up in the media storm as well. Keep in mind, at the time, Zach was simultaneously promoting Hairspray, making out with Nikki Blonsky on TRL, and Vanessa was being quietly removed from the Disney Channel’s huge plans for her. Every news outlet began to question if Vanessa would even be in the third movie at all.
While she did make it into the third movie, Disney knew that the promotional circuit for this movie was going to be bigger than ever before. And they really couldn’t have Vanessa placed on live TV in front of a microphone, especially considering her massive scandal the summer before.
Thus, Disney would match up Zach and Ashley together yet again for the interview circuit. And it was awkward. Ashley, >> I miss Ashley. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days. I’ll probably I’ll probably call her when I get back home and see how she’s very jealous that we’re here without her. When you’re doing press and interviews and all this stuff um from movies, how do you control your nerves? >> Oh man. Um you know, I do get nervous.
I realized the last couple days I get really nervous around you. I don’t know. I was just going to >> No, I just I drink a lot actually a lot of water that calms my nerves. >> Yeah, cuz you’re peeing all the time. You’re going to pee out the nerves. >> My favorite is Can I Have This Dance. My favorite song is Can I Have This Dance.
>> Oh, really? Just songwise. >> Yeah. Like production wise, I Want It All was pretty fun, you know? >> Yeah. I think in the context of the movie that I want it all is going to be my favorite number as well. It’s just like >> But I do love the basketball number too because you’re so sweaty and everything. >> Thanks.
No, you look so good. >> Oh, thank you. >> I mean, you look like you’re really playing basketball. What was your first audition? >> My first audition? No. What was your first >> No, you know, >> I don’t know what your first audition was. >> What was my first audition? You don’t know. My first >> Ashley’s first audition was for Lim.
>> No, it was No, I was out as a commercial. My first audition was a commercial. I know what your first audition was. Oh, >> you do? >> Yes. >> Well, then what was my first audition? Peter Pan the movie. >> That was my first like real audition. Did you ever tell anybody that? >> That was a good movie. I liked it.
>> It was a great movie. >> It’d be really good with you, too. >> Oh, thank you. >> You’re welcome. You’re >> making me laugh. I can’t. >> That was fun. Good job. >> Now, after the third High School Musical movie premiered in 2008, Zach, Vanessa, and Ashley’s careers exploded, but their friendship still remains mostly intact.
Ashley would go away to film Aliens in the Attic alongside new actor at the time, Austin Butler. Throughout her guilty pleasure album run in 2009 and 10, Ashley made it clear that Vanessa was her best friend and that Zach was like a brother to her. >> Oh yeah. Well, me and Vanessa and Zach, we all live right down the street from each other.
So, yeah, we’re always together. >> I’ve known Zach for for like 2 years and I knew Vanessa for a year. So, we were all like friends before and like coming into the movie was uh was so much fun cuz you’re doing something with your friends and and you’re having you’re hanging out and we would hang out every single night besides like we had two weeks of dance rehearsal and Zach was like the personal trainer.
So, he used to take us to the gym after dancing, okay, from uh 9 to 6:00 at night. At the gym, our parents were like, “Are you guys crazy?” >> She even tweeted that quote, “Me and Vanessa are still really close. She’s doing a movie right now, but the last time I saw her was right before she left.
However, over the course of 2011 to 13, while Vanessa was away filming her three movie run of Beastly, Journey 2, and Spring Breakers, Ashley and Zach would be photographed together at private dinners arm-in- arm nonstop. >> I have a little bit of a scandalous photo to show you of Zach. >> Uhoh. >> Yeah. Now, this is what I’m sure. >> He looks hot.
Actually, it’s in one word. >> Um, angel. >> It’s not that the boys look too shabby either. >> Yeah, but we didn’t spend nearly as much time in hair and makeup. >> Yes, you did. >> It was hot. Yeah, I’ve kissed him, too. >> Like that on the mount? >> Um, well, we we kissed on Sweet Life, and it’s Disney Channel, so we had like a little bit of a makeout.
>> I’m shocked that the Disney Channel would even allow that. >> Oh, yeah. Well, Zack Efron, so, you know, you didn’t mind at all. >> No, he’s a cutie. He’s my brother, though. He’s like my brother. So, it’s kind of weird doing that. But, but she’s definitely so cute. You know, >> when you see all this and all these girls going crazy over Dreamy Zach and all that, when you look into his eyes, Zach, I >> Yeah, I looked at him like my little brother kind of thing.
But, um, then I saw his Rolling Stones and I was like, whoa. He doesn’t really. This is where everything gets really secretive and messy, and we can only really decipher what was said in the tabloids. I don’t know if you remember, but in the final High School Musical movie, Sharpi and Ryan have arguably the most elaborate number in the entire franchise.
All leading up to them soft launching their dreams of going to New York City to star on Broadway, >> New York City. >> Well, in 2010, Disney would begin production on the direct to DVD spin-off of High School Musical Sharpi’s Fabulous Adventure, starring Ashley Tisdale as Shar Pei and her Aliens in the Attic co-star Austin Butler as her love interest.
Only a few months later in December of 2010, hot off the heels of their appearance at the Charlie St. Cloud red carpet, Zach and Vanessa would end the High School Musical era altogether, announcing their decision to break up. The news obviously went wild and so did Zach and Vanessa. Let me explain. The next year of 2011 was a make orb break year for the High School Musical cast.
They’d officially had multiple years to distance themselves from the phenomenon, and Zach had become one of Hollywood’s main actors to watch out for. Vanessa was in talks to be in Harmony Karen’s new gritty action blockbuster Spring Breakers and Ashley Tissio was carrying the torch of the High School Musical franchise with Sharpi’s Fabulous Adventure.
Their careers were growing up along with them, but their drama from summer of 2011 sounded like it came straight out of high school. Let me paint the picture. It’s only been 6 months since the world’s favorite Disney Channel couple called It Quits in front of the entire world. Ashley Tisdale has a house down by the beach where she’s planning a huge 26th birthday party beach bash and she invites one of her best friends over, a freshly 23-year-old Zack Efron.
This time with no Vanessa Hutchkins in sight. Inviting your best friend’s ex to your beach party while she’s filming her movie in another country. This did not go over well with the media or high school musical fans, especially considering what they knew of her character Sharpi, which obviously wasn’t fair, but it really was mirroring the movie, so Ashley really couldn’t say much.
What could have been a harmless birthday hangout amongst friends evolved into a news nightmare the group hadn’t seen since High School Musical. Photos of Zach and Ashley goofing off and posing flirtatiously would hit magazine stands and gossip blogs alike. No matter how much Ashley said Zach was like a brother to her, because of their storyline on High School Musical, the kiss on Zach and Cody, and their real life relationship, the story definitely took on a life of its own.
Years later, in 2013, the story would be brought back to life. When Zack Efron reportedly entered a rehab facility, sources close to Ashley spilled to Star magazine that Zach had pretty much ruined that birthday party back in 2011. >> Pop story today is about Zack Efron. As we know, he went to rehab twice earlier this year, but uh Star magazine put out a story saying that back in 2011, he showed up at his his good pal Ashley Tisdale’s birthday party and he was completely strung out on both and enough to the point where he got naked, things
got really weird, and Ashley left her own birthday party in tears. I mean, what do you even think of this? Do you believe this story? >> Well, it is Star magazine, so consider the source. But I do think that it’s interesting, you know, ever since the news came out about his uh rehab stint, both rehab stints I should say, more and more stories have been coming out about how bad his partying actually was.
There’s also that story about him in New York City back in January, completely drunk. Uh there’s a National Inquirer story that came out where he was like on hillbilly heroin. So, I know that he and Ashley are very, very good friends, and it breaks my heart a little bit to know that he would show up to her birthday party just completely not himself and just out of control.
Um, it was interesting, too, cuz I remember when these photos came out, I can take myself back to 2011, and I’m thinking, wo, he’s like carrying her on his shoulders. I know there’s a lot of pictures of them uh in the beach together uh in the water and I think at the time we just thought it was like innocent flirtation, fun, good friends hanging out, but now that we look at it, you can kind of view it as like erratic kind of over the top behavior.
>> Yeah. So, you know, it makes a lot of sense. I do hope it’s not completely true. I know that the article that we read also claimed that Ashley actually called a car service to take Zack Efron home. >> Yeah. The driver was like, I don’t want him dying on my watch. I’m concerned. Uh, he did take him home, >> but that’s really scary that the driver was compelled to say, “I don’t want him dying on my watch.
” It’s such a morbid thought, but it’s like obviously Zach was so out of control that the driver felt compelled to say that. >> To make this timeline even more convoluted, Ashley would attend the premiere of her new movie, Sharpi’s Fabulous Adventure, with Zach arm- in-armm, and they’d even walk the Rock of Ages red carpet together a year later.
The following year, in 2013, they’d do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and post it to social media. By September of 2011, only 5 months after Sharpi’s Fabulous Adventure released, Vanessa would be photographed kissing Ashley’s new co-star, Austin Butler. Now, it’s important to note that this was at Ashley’s sister’s birthday party. So, Ashley was most likely in attendance as well.
By February 2nd, 2012, Austin and Vanessa would debut on the red carpet handinhand as a couple for Vanessa’s new movie, Journey to the Mysterious Island. By 2013, Ashley and Vanessa were still very publicly facing best friends, even having their own episode of E Entertainment’s inner circle. >> We did every romantic thing you could possibly do on a girls trip.
>> We swam with dolphins. We had movie night on the beach. On the beach with like rose petals leading out to dinner on the beach. Yeah, we went horseback riding on at sunset. So amazing. But everyone needs a bad girl. >> I’d rather kiss a girl than a guy. >> Yeah. Would you? >> Yeah. She don’t do it like me. Hope you’re >> But Ashley’s love life got turned completely upside down when she met Christopher French.
After only 8 months together, Ashley and Christopher would get engaged on top of the Empire State Building. And by the next year in 2014, their whirlwind’s romance would peak when they got married. It’s important to note that Vanessa was one of Ashley’s bridesmaids and Lucas Graiel and Monique Coleman were guests at the wedding.
But Zack Efron was nowhere to be found. Ashley and Vanessa would debut their cover of L’s, X’s, and O’s on Ashley’s YouTube channel the same year, renewing their best friendship card to the public. And that’s kind of the thing throughout all of this, they are all working nonstop. So, it’s important to note that they’re not going to have a regularlooking friendship.
They’re going to go long periods of time without seeing each other. Only two or three years later in 2016, Ashley clarified that even though her and Austin met way back during Aliens in the Attic, her friendship with Austin grew leaps and bounds when he started dating Vanessa, telling a magazine article that Austin Butler has been her best friend for years and that she knew him way before Vanessa and Austin got together.
>> When you’re away from home and so far away, it’s nice to be able to, you know, have a group of people just be there together and we all have a great time. What’s wrong with you? >> Oh my gosh. >> She’s just always like joking around and she’s never been I mean she’s completely down to earth.
I love it and so she’s like an older sister so it’s kind of cool. And Ashley loves that two of her best friends are dating. She said that her and Christopher love to go on double dates with Vanessa and Austin. So please keep that in mind. Austin and Ashley may have known each other before Austin started dating Vanessa, but Austin and Ashley’s friendship accelerated when he got with Vanessa.
During an episode of Ancestry’s Two Lies and a Leaf, Ashley discovered her and Austin were distant cousins. >> B AUSTIN AUSTIN BUTLER. >> OH MY GOD. Oh my god. >> No wonder we have such a connection. We’ve always said we were brother and sister. That is insane. >> I literally am going to cry. >> He’s my best best friend.
I’m telling you, when we first met, I was like, “Oh my god, we were like brother and sister from the minute we met.” Over the course of the next eight years, Vanessa, Ashley, and Zach’s careers would all blow up, but in sort of separate directions. Ashley launched her body care line in Target. Vanessa debuted in multiple musical projects, and Zach became an R-rated movie Vixen.
Notably, in 2019, Ashley and Vanessa were both bridesmaids at the same friend’s wedding. The friend whose wedding it was was actually a bridesmaid with Vanessa at Ashley’s wedding, so they were just returning the favor. By the end of 2019, fans noticed Austin was missing from Vanessa’s holiday posts and winter trip photos.
US Weekly specifically pointed to the fact that they did not appear to spend the holidays together and Vanessa posted solo photos from Switzerland and New Year’s without him. On January 14th, 2020, US Weekly reported that Vanessa and Austin had broken up after nearly 9 years together. But as per usual, Vanessa muddied the waters only 1 month later.
When she told Cosmopolitan UK in their February 2020 issue, quote, “It’s 8 years this year.” And that it was FaceTimes, mutual respect, communication, and trust that kept them going. However, that statement clearly didn’t age well, as over the course of the next year, it was clear the couple had separated. Vanessa made a 2020 birthday post for Ashley, branding her as her OG bestie, and said they were renovating houses together.
She even stopped by to see Ashley’s new baby. But the story developed even further between Vanessa and Austin. And let’s just say the details weren’t pretty. Basically, Austin debuted at the Met Gala with his new 20-year-old girlfriend, Kaia Gerber, the daughter of Cindy Crawford. Keep in mind, Austin was 30 years old at the time.
Austin really never publicly spoke or confirmed their relationship, but online news forums and magazines still went in on him and Kaia. And of course, there’s the infamous photos of Kaia and Vanessa together at the 2007 premiere of High School Musical. Cindy Crawford had brought her kids to the red carpet premiere, and Kaia was only 5 years old posing with Vanessa at 18.
Seeing Austin’s two love interests next to each other when one was five and another was 18 just made their age gap that much more apparent, and the love triangle rumors spread everywhere. So, what about Ashley? Zach, Austin, and Vanessa were all people she’s referred to as her best friend at one point or another.
What did she have to say about all of this? Well, Ashley would divulge a lot to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live in 2024. And let’s just say her relationship with Vanessa seemed a little uncertain. We got this a lot. Basically, people want to know what’s going on with you and Vanessa. Do you guys hang out? >> I haven’t seen her in a long time.
You know, like I think we’re just obviously she’s working. I’m working. I have a daughter, so it’s like, you know, she’s a full-time job. >> Yeah. And to be honest, at this point, this is a pattern of behavior from Ashley. It really shines more light on her situation with Zach. Ashley is so quick to refer to someone as her best friend.
And I understand it might have been hard to like third wheel with Zach and Vanessa. But for her to constantly throw her same friend under the bus in favor of these huge upandcoming movie stars right at their peak, it just makes each of the situations seem that much more incriminating on her part. So, where does that bring us today? Well, rumors of Austin and Kaia’s breakup broke in 2025.
Vanessa married her now husband, Cole Tucker, in 2023, and she even had two children with him. So, what about Vanessa and Ashley? Well, they aren’t bffs for the time being. And Ashley seemingly has taken Austin’s side, fully backing his career and giving him huge press moments he maybe didn’t even ask for. And that’s what I want you all to leave this video with.
We now know that most paparazzi videos or photos are staged. So, how come Ashley was always spotted with Zach? I know they were huge stars, but the story reminds me a lot of Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green. Every single article I read about it has the markings of someone leaking the information from the inside, which I just can’t imagine even thinking about doing that to someone I call my best friend. Like, come on.
So, for the sake of this video and story, let’s just assume all the paparazzi were naturally occurring and no one was purposefully trying to backstab their best friend to get their name in the press and further their own career. But that’s really all that I have for this story. But I definitely want to hear what you have to say in the comments about this.
I know all of your opinions are going to be so different. I really just wanted to lay the details out here and see if y’all knew anything else. It’s always been something that’s rubbed me the wrong way ever since I saw this clip of her talking about kissing him on the CW. >> I had to kiss Zack Efron on the Sweet Life of Zach and Cody.
And it’s the worst because I’m so close to him and he’s like my brother at the time. He was used to acting on like Warner Brothers which is CW and we were on Disney Channel and so he like he tried to kissing me with his tongue and I was like get away from me. I was like closed my mouth so fast. I was like this is Disney Channel.
We don’t kiss like that on Disney Channel. It’s just weird when you’re so close to somebody. We were We had already done the movie. I’d known him for years before. That is why it was the worst. It’s just we’re too close. like, you know, I really did not want to drink that. >> She’s just always been very flirtatious with him.
Anyway, thank you all so much for watching. Be sure to check out my latest video on Secret Society, all about MGK and Megan Fox’s rise and fall of their relationship. I also released a video on Deep Dive all about Megan Fox’s early career. Thank you so much to everyone for watching. If you like this video, consider subscribing if you want to see more.
And I’ll see you all in the next one. Bye. >> Y’all need to get ready to hear the unbelievable indescribable Vanessa Hud. My baby.
