How Vanessa Hudgens Feels About Zac Efron Not Singing With Her During ‘HSM’ Reunion

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Vanessa Hudgens, 31, isn’t sweating the fact that her ex-boyfriend Zac Efron, 32, didn’t perform with her on ABC’s The Disney Family Singalong. “Vanessa is proud of what she did with her High School Musical return, she really thought it was fun and for a good cause,” an insider spills to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “Regardless of Zac not singing it is nothing she can control. She did it for her reasons and he did it for his reasons, she can’t babysit others plans. She is proud to have done it and that’s that,” the insider also added.

Zac did still appear on the special to introduce Vanessa, whom he dated from 2005 – 2010, in a taped 17 second clip for the April 16 special. “Hi everyone, I hope that your safe, and that your healthy, and that you’re doing as well as possible in these unprecedented times,” the actor said in the video. “It is my greatest pleasure to introduce a musical performance by some of my oldest friends — and some new ones — and I hope you remember, we are all in this together,” he added. The special then went to an epic virtual performance of “We’re All In This Together” by Vanessa, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel.

Fans were disappointed that Zac didn’t perform alongside his former Disney cast mates, and another source previously told us he had his reasons. “Zac has done so much in his career to honor his time with High School Musical, but also not to dwell on it because he wants to grow from that moment. There have been so many good times and memories from it all, but there was also a lot of hurt and that comes from his time with Vanessa,” an insider revealed on April 21. “They don’t talk anymore, so working together in a situation like this would be way too difficult because he would love to have practiced it to make it perfect. But that would mean he would have [had] to work with Vanessa and he doesn’t want that in his life. He is a completely different guy and wants to move on and that is why he did the introduction, mostly as a big favor to (HSM director) Kenny Ortega. Don’t plan on him SINGING any of the music from the show anytime soon. There is just way too much baggage,” they added.

Monique Coleman also shed some light on the situation, but noted that he actually opted not to sing due to technical issues with his wifi in Papa New Guinea where he has been filming his new Quibi show Killing Zac Efron. “I thought it was really cool that he was able to come in at the last minute and just do something,” she said, also noting he was “very involved” with the performance, on April 18. “Zac to me is one of the realest people I’ve known and he’s always been very grounded and more concerned with being a person than a celebrity, and I respect that,” she also said.