How Former Disney Star Ashley Tisdale Landed In Legal Trouble

Ashley Tisdale, who's best known for her iconic role as Sharpay Evans in the "High School Musical" franchise, has found herself in legal trouble related to a 2022 car crash. Tisdale's legal problems sprung up after a relatively clean run in Hollywood. Unlike so many of her celebrity peers, the Disney Channel star has never been arrested or gotten into any real public trouble. In fact, Tisdale only previously appeared in court to get a restraining order against a stalker in 2013, per TMZ. In that case, a judge ruled in her favor. Unfortunately, Tisdale's next court appointment will see her defending herself in a lawsuit related to the car accident.

On the surface, Tisdale's legal woes don't seem nearly as serious as some of the other celebs who've been sued in 2023, but her case could still set her back a substantial amount of money. According to Page Six, Tisdale was involved in a car accident in 2022, and now the other driver, Lina Gonzalez, has decided to sue her. The lawsuit was filed in September, roughly a year after Gonzalez deemed Tisdale to be at fault. As the outlet reported, Gonzalez claimed that Tisdale's "negligent and reckless manner" during the crash caused her serious injuries. Here's exactly what's at stake for Tisdale.

Lina Gonzalez has sued Ashley Tisdale for $140,000, according to TMZ. The lawsuit stems from the injuries that Gonzalez sustained in the accident, which she claims resulted in a loss of wages and loss of love and protection, among other things. Gonzalez's lawyer, Michael R. Parker, shared her side of the ordeal with the publication. According to Parker, Tisdale ran into Gonzalez as she prepared to make a left turn on Hollywood Boulevard. The accident brought Gonzalez $140,000 in medical debt — partially because of injuries sustained to her back and neck (via NY Post). According to Page Six, Gonzalez also hopes to sue the owner of the car Tisdale was driving for allowing her access to the vehicle.

Parker also accused Tisdale of berating Gonzalez after the accident. While speaking with TMZ, Parker said that Tisdale "called [his client] names" and "made a big fuss about the situation." And while Tisdale has refrained from speaking out about the lawsuit, her team supplied TMZ with a statement denying Parker's accusations. "There was no aggressiveness or words exchanged from Ashley following the crash," said Tisdale's reps (via NY Post).

According to Page Six, Ashley Tisdale and Lina Gonzalez won't face off in court until February 2025. which means they both have plenty of time to build their cases. Fortunately for Tisdale, this won't be her first go around with a car-centered feud. In 2019, Tisdale announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that director Kevin Smith had scratched her car, but didn't stop to acknowledge it.

"Thanks @ThatKevinSmith for scratching my car and not stoppin, Classy move neighbor!" Tisdale tweeted (via People). Although Smith may not have stopped in person to tend to the scratch, the director did own up to scratching Tisdale's car on social media. "Apologies — I drive like Cruella de Vil in the Hills! However, I *did * do a courtesy stop. Then when you pulled away first, I was like, 'That's soooo Sharpay...,'" Smith replied. Despite airing out her neighborly grievances, Tisdale aptly accepted Smith's apology and the pair put the incident behind them. And though it's unknown if Smith offered to fix the scratch on Tisdale's car, they were obviously able to settle things without a getting courts involved.