The Michalka sisters, Aly and AJ, are somewhat familiar names in the industry, especially for those who grew up around the early 2000s. They’re definitely talented girls, and it’s likely that they get it from their mom, Carrie Michalka. Not only do the girls get their looks from their mothers; they get their talents from her as well. Carrie had been under fire before for being one of the many victims of celebrities having their nude photos leaked online. That couldn’t have been an easy thing for anyone to go through, let alone a mom of two famous girls. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about this woman.

1. She’s a musician.

More specifically, she’s a musician for a Christian band called JC Band. We could only surmise what the JC stands for, but recent events are probably harming that Christian image just a little bit. She also claims to have been brought up Christian, but hey, nobody’s perfect.

2. She was a homeschool mom.

While we put all recent news aside, this woman homeschooled her girls with dedication. Those who have gone through that path of homeschooling know that it isn’t the easiest one to tread, and a lot of the work fall on the parents. Many people questioned her teaching style, however, when an interview with the girls showed that they didn’t believe in evolution.

3. She’s an inspiration.

The sisters take their mom to be their earliest inspiration, especially when it came to music and singing. Surely the girls were influenced by their mom’s love of music. Carrie filled their homes with songs as much as she could, and it paid off in the end as both her girls found success in music one way or another.

4. It’s a family affair.

Carrie isn’t the only one in the family that has had nude photos of her self leaked. Both Aly and AJ were victims as well, as their photos were actually leaked first before their mom’s. It’s a sad day for the Michalka family, but they should probably just stop taking nude photos just to be safe.

5. She lived in Seattle.

The mom and her now ex-husband brought up their two girls mostly in Seattle, Washington. Seattle is a great place to raise a family. It’s full of culture, especially of music, and it’s just beautiful altogether. However, the family made the move to California after the girls became serious about a career in either singing or acting.

6. She writes songs.

More specifically, Carrie wrote on some of the tracks of her children’s albums. Out of four studio albums, Carrie co-wrote at least four songs, majority of which were in the first studio album. We’re sure that she continues to coach or consult with the girls regardless on whether she’s credited for it or not.

7. She’s changed religious affiliation.

It seems that the mom of two strong Christian women no longer identifies herself as Christian. She has left the band for a while now, and she’s clearly not living her life according to Christian principles. Either way, it seems she’s doing whatever makes her happy, which is the most important thing in life anyway.

8. She’s divorced.

There were plenty of reports claiming that Carrie was divorced from her husband, Mark. However, there wasn’t a lot of information on what caused their divorce or even when it happened. The couple did a great job of keeping it all under wraps somehow.

9. She’s very close with her daughters.

If it isn’t clear enough, Carrie is very close with her two daughters. They can often be seen together in events, and they also often travel together whenever possible. Carrie is often seen tagging along with the girls whenever they have to travel for a show or a tour. Their closeness is also evident on their social media pages, as Carrie often posts pictures of her and her daughters living their everyday lives together. She was a former cheerleader.

10. She used to be a cheerleader.

Carrie got used to being in front of large audiences when she used to be a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. There’s not a lot of information on how long she worked as a cheerleader for, but we know that her cheerleading days came before she became a full-fledged musician.

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