Ashley Tisdale spoke honestly about postpartum depression. The “High School Musical” star was the first guest in her husband’s new podcast. Christopher French has started the “Recovering” podcast, where his wife opened up about her struggles. Tisdale, 41, spoke of her experience with postpartum depression after giving birth to her older daughter. The actress and singer was honest about the effect it had on her marriage with French. Tisdale gave credit to her husband for standing by her and giving her the space she needed to deal with her emotional state.
Tisdale and French have been a couple since 2012. The pair married in 2014, welcoming two children over the decade. Their relationship has been positively met in the media, making this a brave admission from Tisdale about the reality of her condition.
Ashley Tisdale’s Anxiety Collided With Her Postpartum Depression
In the first episode of the “Recovering” podcast, Ashley Tisdale admitted she tried to divorce Christopher French. The two maintained it was because of her depression rather than marital issues. Tisdale was appreciate of French for dealing it the way it needed to be.
“You dealt with a lot of that, and we had difficulty during that first year,” Tisdale said to French on the podcast. “I tried to divorce you so many times. But you’re so grounded and calm and knew to just let it blow over.”
Tisdale revealed her struggles happened after she gave birth in 2021. The actress confirmed her first pregnancy was the one that delivered the worst bout of postpartum depression. According to her, she felt she was prepared to be a mother but was caught unawares by the “very intense” illness.
The “Phineas and Ferb” star revealed she has always had issues with anxiety. However, her ability to cope with it led her to believe she would only need to keep that in check. According to her, she was no ready for the hormonal effect from postpartum depression. As a result, the combination of anxiety and postpartum depression took a toll on her.
Tisdale mentioned a moment when she nearly had a panic attack while driving. The actress was stuck in traffic when her anxiety rose up, at a time when she hadn’t been diagnosed with postpartum depression yet. Tisdale finally got diagnosed by a doctor after her daughter’s second birthday. The revelation put things into perspective, as the actress had not considered it before.
Ashley Tisdale And Christopher French’s Marriage Has Remained Strong
Despite their struggles, Ashley Tisdale and Christopher French’s relationship has persevered. Speaking to PEOPLE, French admitted it was “hard” watching his wife during her difficult time. The composer said he managed by finding ways to make Tisdale’s daily life slightly easier. He did so by doing household tasks like cleaning the dishes, taking out the bottles, and even moving into another room with their baby to give his wife space.
On the podcast, Tisdale confirmed she didn’t experience the same symptoms when their second child was born. The actress is glad she didn’t have to go through the same experience again. She and French are parents to daughters Juniper, 5, and Emerson, 2.
Apart from the ways he contributed, French told PEOPLE that the most he could do was be patient. The composer thinks it is “key” that anyone whose partner is going through the same thing needs to be “forgiving and gracious beyond what [they] think [they’re] capable of. The couple’s candid conversation shed further light on mental health that the entertainment industry has made a talking point in recent times.
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Ashley Tisdale Admits She Tried to Divorce Husband of 12 Years ‘So Many Times’