Our hearts are broken! Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler dated nearly nine years before their split was announced on January 14. The couple reportedly first met in 2005 on the set of High School Musical, Daily Mailreported, but weren’t romantically linked until 2011. Their relationship seemed strong and the duo spent a lot of time laughing, traveling and having a whole lot of fun together. Keep scrolling to look back at their full relationship timeline!
1 of 38
Broadimage/Shutterstock
September 2011
Rumors first started swirling about Vanessa and Austin after they were spotted kissing. Although they were caught in a full liplock, both of their reps denied that the two were an item.
2 of 38
Beverly News/Shutterstock
December 2011
Vanessa and Austin fueled rumors by getting handsy during a trip to Miami together.
3 of 38
MEGA
December 2012
They can’t stop, won’t stop packing on the PDA! The pair used a Lakers game to go public with their romance. They looked very sweet sitting on the sidelines and smooching.
4 of 38
Matt Sayles/AP/Shutterstock
February 2012
The gorgeous duo put the rumors to rest when they made their first red carpet appearance for the premiere of Vanessa’s flick Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in Los Angeles.
5 of 38
MEGA
May 2012
After letting the world know about their love, Austin and Vanessa enjoy a slew of outings around Los Angeles, including this fun day date to the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.
6 of 38
Joel Ryan/AP/Shutterstock
September 2012
The couple stepped out looking glam again at the Venice Film Festival.
7 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
March 2013
Austin did not attend the premiere of Vanessa’s movie Spring Breakers with Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, but he proved that their relationship is still going strong. “I’m home sick, but sending tons of love to everyone at the Spring Breakers premiere! Especially the beautiful girl in the feather dress,” the actor gushed on Twitter about his absence at the time.
8 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
December 2013
They moved their relationship online and became Instagram official after over a year of dating. “We may be rowdy but man we have fun. Love these people with all my heart. Thanks [Hillsong Church] for my new home,” Vanessa captioned a photo of a group of friends, which included her boyfriend.
9 of 38
Broadimage/Shutterstock
December 2013
Vanessa turned 25 and her handsome beau was right by her side to celebrate.
10 of 38
Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock
January 2014
Awards season, baby! The starlets attended a Golden Globes party hosted by Netflix together — and looked gorgeous doing it.
11 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
April 2014
Vanessa considers herself the queen of Coachella and it looked like Austin fit right in as her music festival king.
12 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
August 2014
Vanessa shared the sweetest birthday tribute for the actor on his big day. “Yesterday was the love of my life’s birthday. Happy birthday to the man with the kindest heart, beautiful soul, crazy talent and best looks I’ve ever seen,” she wrote on Instagram. “He never stops inspiring me in every aspect of life and always lifts those around him up higher. I thank god so greatly for blessing the world 23 years ago by creating Austin Butler.”
13 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
September 2014
Austin suffered the loss of his mom from cancer. “Lori Butler, my mom, my hero, & my best friend passed away this morning. Let’s all celebrate her. I love you and will miss you every day Mom,” he wrote on Twitter about her death.
Out of support, Vanessa retweeted his post and added, “I miss you already mama. #ripLoriButler #celebrateLori Spread the love for Lori.”
14 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
November 2014
Every year, fans anxiously await to see what Vanessa and Austin’s over-the-top Halloween costume will be. This cute throwback proves that they’ve always loved dressing up together.
15 of 38
Courtesy of Austin Butler Instagram
August 2015
Austin *finally* launched his Instagram this month and one of his first few photos included this beautiful shot of his girlfriend. The actress also mentioned her beau’s arrival to the social media platform. “[Stella Hudgens] and I welcome our family member [Austin Butler] to the INSTAGRAM TRIBE!!!!!” she wrote a few weeks after he joined.
16 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
December 2014
Too cute! Austin and Vanessa celebrated the holidays together right before they rang in 2015.
17 of 38
Broadimage/Shutterstock
May 2015
Between Vanessa working on Gigi on Broadway and Austin’s busy schedule, the two weren’t able to see each other a ton. “Ugh. I miss him. MTV stop hogging him. LOL,” the brunette beauty wrote on Instagram.
18 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
July 2015
The adventurous couple documented their trip to Africa and yep, they saw a lion.
19 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
August 2015
They seem over-the-moon about each other! “He makes me happy. And it’s his birthday,” Vanessa swooned over her handsome man for his birthday.
20 of 38
Matt Baron/Shutterstock
February 2016
They have always been super supportive of each other’s careers. After Vanessa appeared in Grease Live, Austin took to Twitter to rave about her performance. “WOW [Vanessa Hudgens] singing ‘Worst Things’ had me in tears. Just brilliant #GreaseLive,” he wrote.
21 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
March 2016
Too hot to handle! Vanessa was a lucky lady and she knew it. “What’s the male version of fox? Stud? I don’t know but I can’t handle it. My family is too beautiful,” she captioned a photo of Austin on Instagram.
22 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
May 2016
“When you and your mans hair is on point,” Vanessa quipped on Instagram over her and Austin’s luscious locks.
23 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
July 2016
The pair jetted off to Italy for some fun. Vanessa added the hashtag “most handsome man alive” when she shared this cuddled up selfie.
24 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
August 2016
Vanessa’s admiration for her boyfriend kept on flowing. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE … [Austin Butler] you make life better … Happy 25th birthday, baby,” she captioned a sweet photo of the two.
25 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
March 2017
Although the couple seemed to be in a good place, relationships are full of ups and downs. “Missing this guy,” the starlet captioned a photo of the two smooching on Instagram and added the hashtag, “long distance sucks.”
26 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
November 2017
The couple fought through the long distance and had a very cute few months. In August, Vanessa wished the “love of her life” another happy birthday and posted about her “handsome” man multiple times. They also had a very fun Halloween month filled with lots of costumes and friends. “I [think] [you’re] freeky [sic] and I like you a lot,” Austin wrote on Instagram about his lady love.
27 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
December 2017
Vanessa sparked engagement rumors when this mirror selfie seemingly showed her wearing a ring on ~that~ finger. “Guysssss. I’m not engaged! I posted a pic … Not to show off my ring that I happened to throw on that finger after a long day of filming but to show off my haircut LOL,” she later wrote to deny rumors.
28 of 38
Matt Baron/Shutterstock
February 2018
They may not have been engaged, but they were still just as smitten with each other. “Our 6th Valentine’s Day and it blows me away how madly in love I am with you all these years later,” the Princess Switch star adorably wrote on Instagram.
29 of 38
Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
November 2018
Will they or won’t they? Vanessa opened up about her future plans, which included marriage, but she still wanted to wait a little bit. “I want to get married, travel, then have kids — probably in my late 30s … everyone’s clock is different,” she told Women’s Health at the time. She also talked a bit about Austin and noted that he “inspires me more than anyone.”
30 of 38
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
December 2018
Austin came out to support Vanessa during the world premiere of her movie Second Act with Jennifer Lopez. Later that month, the actress divulged that he was her “rock” during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
31 of 38
AFF-USA/Shutterstock
April 2018
The support is mutual! After Austin made his debut in the play The Iceman Cometh, Vanessa swooned over her talented man after opening night. “He’s all I see. [Austin Butler] so proud of my sweetheart,” she wrote on Instagram.
32 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
February 2019
After celebrating Vanessa’s birthday together in December, the couple rang in another huge milestone with their 7-year anniversary. “The only one I have eyes for,” the former Disney kid captioned one photo of the two sharing a kiss. She also added, “[Seven] years strong,” to a separate post.
33 of 38
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
June 2019
It was a big few months for Austin’s career. In June, they attended the premiere of his movie The Dead Don’t Die starring Selena Gomez and Bill Murray.
34 of 38
Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures/Shutterstock
July 2019
The following month, the pair attended the premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Austin stars as a character named Tex Watson.
35 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
August 2019
Everything seemed great amid Austin’s birthday. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY … to my love, my other half, my constant inspiration and supporter. My best friend. My everything. [Austin Butler] 28 is going to be [fire emoji],” Vanessa wrote on Instagram.
Vanessa exclusively spoke with Life & Style this same month and dished on the secrets to the longevity of her relationship. “Communication, trust and patience,” she explained at the Weedmaps Museum of Weed grand opening on August 1.
36 of 38
Courtesy of Vanessa Hudgens Instagram
December 2019
Although Austin and Vanessa spent Halloween together, fans noticed that he was absent from her feed after that. The starlet raised a few eyebrows when she seemingly didn’t spend the holidays with her beau and took a trip without him to Switzerland.
37 of 38
Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
January 2020
It’s over! “Vanessa and Austin are officially broken up, and Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup,” Us Weekly reported about the couple. Neither of them has issued a statement about their split but time will tell what happens between the exes.
38 of 38
Jim Ruymen/UPI/Shutterstock
Austin Speaks!
While Austin had remained private about the pair’s split after nine years together, he addressed it during a May 2022 interview by explaining, “Life is full of changes, and you’ve got to find a way to constantly be evolving and growing.”
