Christy Carlson Romano is taking fans back to her Cadet Kelly days — and recalling how her brief romance with co-star Shawn Ashmore allegedly came to an end after she heard his team did not think she was famous enough to continue dating him.
Romano recently revisited her relationship with Ashmore, whom she met while filming Disney Channel's Cadet Kelly, which premiered in 2002. The former Disney Channel star said the pair dated during the summer they filmed the movie and for several months afterwards, but the relationship eventually came to an abrupt end.
According to Romano, she was eventually ghosted and later heard that Ashmore's team thought she was not famous enough for the pair to continue dating. The actress shared the revelation as she promotes her upcoming memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star, which is out on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.
A Disney Romance Behind the Scenes
'Shawn and I dated for the summer we filmed Cadet Kelly and for a few months after,' Romano wrote in an Instagram post. 'I was eventually ghosted and had heard 'his team' thought I wasn't famous enough for us to keep dating.'
Romano added: 'Hollywood is brutal for a young girl,' explaining that the experience was among the reasons she wanted to write her memoir and share more about what happened behind the scenes during her years in the entertainment industry.
The claim comes more than two decades after Cadet Kelly premiered. Romano played Jennifer Stone, the film's cadet captain and the antagonist to Hilary Duff's title character, while Ashmore portrayed Brad, Kelly's love interest. Romano was already a recognisable Disney Channel star when the movie was released, having gained attention for her role as Ren Stevens on Even Stevens.
She later became the voice of the title character in the animated series Kim Possible. Ashmore was also building his acting career and later appeared in projects includingThe X-Men franchise, The Following, The Boys and The Rookie.
Romano Previously Called Him 'A True Gentleman'
Romano's latest comments add more detail to a relationship she had previously described more casually. In a 2022 interview with E! News, Romano said she had dated her Disney Channel crush and described the relationship as 'nothing serious'.
She also called Ashmore 'a very nice guy' and 'a true gentleman'. Her latest recollection, however, suggests that the ending was more painful from her perspective than her earlier comments indicated. Ashmore has not publicly confirmed Romano's account of the alleged conversation with his team.
Fans React to the Fame Claim
Romano's revelation also prompted discussion online, with some fans pointing to Romano's established Disney Channel profile at the time. Some pointed out that Romano was already a familiar face to Disney Channel viewers through Even Stevens and Cadet Kelly, while others debated how the two actors' careers compared in the years that followed.
The reaction has also centred on the fact that Romano and Ashmore were young when the relationship took place. Romano was 17 when Cadet Kelly was filmed in 2001, while Ashmore was 21. For Romano, the story appears to be part of a much larger reflection on her childhood career and the expectations placed on young performers.
Her memoir, Once Upon a Trainwreck: The Fall and Rise of a Child Star, explores her experiences as a child actor and the challenges she faced as she grew older in the entertainment industry. For fans who remember Cadet Kelly as a nostalgic slice of early-2000s Disney Channel history, Romano's revelation adds an unexpected chapter to the film's legacy — and a reminder that even seemingly picture-perfect Disney romances can have a very different story behind the scenes.
