It’s been fifteen years since the original High School Musical (HSM) transformed the lives of children, preteens, and teenagers all over the world. Many would surely still remember the major casts such as Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, and many more. Adding names to the club, Matt Prokop and Jemma McKenzie-Brown also got a spot during the third installment of the film.
The first HSM movie was so well-received that a sequel was immediately announced, followed by another. The franchise had gained enough traction by the third film to merit a theatrical release. But like any movie, there are many problems that the characters run into – specifically during the High School Musical 3: Senior Year, where actors Matt and Jemma fostered a romantic relationship in real life. But why did the couple break up?
Matt Prokop And Jemma McKenzie-Brown’s Relationship
Film sets may be a fertile place for romance. The heart wants what the heart wants, no matter how professional actors strive to be. When you spend a significant amount of time working closely with your coworkers, practicing lines in the case of actors, loving sentiments are unavoidable, just like the rest of us.
For the case of Matt Prokop (who plays the role of Jimmie Zara, also known as “the Rocket” or “Rocketman”) and Jemma McKenzie-Brown (who stars as Tiara Gold), their relationship didn’t grow and develop into something deeper and forever. According to reports, the duo dated from June to August 2008.
Rumors about their affair began after sweet photos of them circulated online. They have been spotted embracing and holding hands. However, Matt claims that he does not like to showcase PDA (public displays of affection). After almost three months of being together, the couple decided to separate ways for an unknown reason. They chose to keep their lips sealed as to why they broke up. Could it be because of another High School Musical aspirant, Sarah Hyland?
Matt Prokop And Sarah Hyland’s Relationship
After his split with Jemma, Matt had found love again in the person of Sarah Hyland. Their romance first began back in 2008, when they met at an audition for High School Musical 3 – where Matt got the role of Jimmie, but Sarah didn’t get a spot.
The two then starred in Geek Charming, a Disney Channel original film, in which Sarah portrayed a gorgeous, popular girl and Matt played her knight in shining armor. While Matt was building a reputation for himself as a teen idol through Disney, Sarah was making a name for herself in the sitcom world.
They eventually moved in together and adopted a Maltipoo named Barkley Bixby. When Matt appeared as a guest star on Modern Family, where Sarah plays Haley Dumphy, in 2012, things grew even more serious. He made an appearance in Season 3, Episode 22 as Ethan, Hayley's love interest.
They appeared to be the ideal pair on the surface, but behind the scenes, they were everything, but it was the complete opposite. The pair parted in 2014 after four years of dating. The world discovered that this wasn't a typical split in August of that year. Matt was served with a three-year temporary restraining order by Sarah, who claimed he was physically and verbally abusive to her throughout their relationship.
As stated on the official legal documents, Matt “terrorized her both verbally and physically during the last four years of their relationship.” Sarah reportedly claimed that during one argument, he choked her so hard that she “could not breathe or speak,” and that he threatened to harm her and their dog on many occasions.
Thankfully, the actress was able to obtain a permanent restraining order against her ex-partner, preventing him from contacting her in any way. In an interview with Meredith Viera shortly after the split, she revealed, “People have to go through things in order to become the person they are today.”
Matt Prokop, Jemma McKenzie-Brown, And Sarah Hyland Now
As you can expect, Hollywood, particularly Disney, shut the door on Matt as soon as the claims of abuse were made public. Since 2013, he hasn't appeared in any film or television productions. His most recent acting role was in the 2013 film, April Apocalypse.
In his social media account, he appears to be dating someone else, although it's unclear whether he's still with his girlfriend. In June this year, his partner shared a picture of them together, captioning it with: “Thanks for being you. You’re perfect.”
As for Jemma McKenzie-Brown, her band About Bunny released their debut single, Special, in 2020. She is now older, wiser, and feels as though she has finally found her sound as she conquers the music industry with a new band. She hasn’t completely forgotten about her fans from High School Musical and continues interacting with them across popular social media platform TikTok.
Jemma has also been promoting on Instagram Barry’s Bootcamp as being fit is always a part of her life. She is now an instructor at Barry’s. She notes on the website, “When you hit my class, you’re in for a challenge. I want you to embrace that. If you want to lose weight, find that six pack, or just keep on keeping on… live it and love it.”
As for Sarah Hyland, she and actor Adam Wells have been going strong since 2017. In a recent Instagram post of the actress, she shared a photo while out with her fiancé for the MPTF NextGen Board's 2021 Summer Party hosted at Sunset Tower Hotel. She couldn't help but show off her goofy side.