Ashley Tisdale opens up about ‘traumatic’ shaming she experienced after getting nose job

High School Musical star says: 'I was constantly made to feel bad about it’

Ashley Tisdale opens up about ‘shaming’ over nose job (AFP via Getty Images)

Ashley Tisdale has opened up about the “traumatic” backlash she faced after getting a nose job to correct a breathing issue.

The High School Musical actress had a rhinoplasty to fix her deviated septum in 2007, with Tisdale going public about her decision to undergo the surgery shortly afterwards.

In a new blog post on her website Frenshe, Tisdale has reflected on the plastic surgery shaming that followed the procedure, explaining that she decided to address the surgery and the ensuing criticism 15 years later after she was “triggered” by a recent interview question.

“I have to be honest, I wasn’t ready to write or publish this post just yet, however, a question asked in an interview this week triggered some emotions. I was caught off-guard and felt like this part of my story was taken away from me. This is a topic that’s far from new, and while I love being honest with my community, I haven’t touched on this yet,” Tisdale wrote. “The bottom line: it was a very traumatic experience for me and it makes me very emotional to this day.”

The 35-year-old then explained that she had decided to undergo the procedure based on “serious health issues” she was having at the time, and that it “was not about changing my appearance”.  

“After several doctor’s visits about my health issues, they also suggested shaving my ‘bump’ down. I was young and didn’t put much thought into it, so I decided, why not? It wasn’t a big deal to me nor was it like I was dreaming of the day I’d get a nose job,” she continued.  

However, according to Tisdale, she was not prepared for the public’s response to the nose job, with the actress recalling that she was “constantly” shamed for having plastic surgery.

“Plastic surgery wasn’t culturally accepted then like it is now. When I got it done I was scrutinised, judged, and made to feel ashamed over my decision. I made a decision that was no one’s business (and is STILL no one’s business) and for that decision, I was constantly made to feel bad about it,” she recalled.

In the post, Tisdale, who is currently pregnant with her first child, also revealed that, at the time, she wanted to be open with her young fan base about her decision to undergo surgery but felt like she couldn’t because of the public scrutiny.

According to the actress, she decided to address the situation after feeling like her confidence was again questioned when she was asked about the surgery 15 years later.

“The funny thing is that being caught off guard in this interview 15 years later when rhinoplasty is not considered taboo, I had my confidence questioned yet again. There was just no place for that,” she wrote.

Tisdale was also motivated by her unborn daughter, with the Carol’s Second Act star expressing her hope that her daughter’s “choices aren’t met with judgment or shame”.

“At the end of the day, I’m having a daughter, and I hope her choices aren’t met with judgment or shame,” she wrote. “It’s taken years for me to process this experience – an experience that I didn’t think was that big of a deal either.”

Tisdale concluded the post explaining that she was using the recent interview as a reason to finally “let go” of the situation, writing: “I’m choosing to look at this interview (which was a bummer) as a positive. It brought up a very dark time in my life. Things like having paparazzi break into my home to get the ‘first shot’, and feeling like I let people down were the first things that came to mind.  

“BUT I’m choosing to see this as a push to face it, write it down and finally let go.”

This is not the first time Tisdale has opened up about her past decisions to undergo plastic surgery. In August 2020, she revealed on social media that she had had surgery to have her breast implants removed after experiencing side effects such as gut issues and food sensitivities that she believed were related to the implants.

At the time, the actress revealed that she had initially undergone the surgery “years ago” because she felt insecure with her body.