Vanessa Hudgens and ex-partner Austin Butler's complete relationship timeline explored as actress welcomes second child with husband Cole Tucker

Before Vanessa was married, she was together with Austin Butler for more than eight years. They were once Hollywood's dream couple who made everyone believe in love.

Fast forward to the present, Vanessa Hudgens and her husband, Cole Tucker, just announced the arrival of their second child. While the new parents are yet to announce the gender and the name of their newborn, Hudgens posted a photo of herself on a hospital bed, holding her husband's hand. She captioned the picture:

"Well…. I did it. Had another baby!!! What a wild ride labor is. Big shout out to all the moms. It’s truly incredible what our bodies can do."

Keep reading to learn more about Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler's eight-year relationship.

Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler's relationship timeline

Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler were first seen together at Ashley Tisdale's sister's birthday in September 2011. Hudgens had broken up with her Disney co-star ex-boyfriend, Zac Efron, a year ago, before the romance rumours between her and Austin Butler started.

The following year, in January, the two were seen in public, going on a double date with Danielle Panabaker and her boyfriend. While the exact date of when they got together is unclear, the couple made their red carpet debut in February 2012 for Vanessa's film, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

Vanessa and Austin Butler's relationship is known for their cute PDA, often captured by the paparazzi. In the same year, they attended Coachella and the Outside Lands Festival together. According to a source from PEOPLE:

"They held hands the entire afternoon... They were extremely lovey-dovey."

The following year, they were spotted attending a party in Los Angeles. Those who were there saw how in love they were with each other. A source from PEOPLE shared:

"...couldn't keep their hands off each other... The couple was very cute together... They were seen dancing a lot throughout the night. They were sipping on cocktails and being cuddly and affectionate and were spotted kissing non-stop throughout the evening. They were listening to the Bingo Players, who deejayed that night."

Even though the couple made their red carpet debut in 2012, it was only on Austin Butler's birthday in 2014 that they made their relationship Instagram official. She posted a photo of herself and her boyfriend, writing in the caption:

"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... 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."

Hudgens was not only there for the highs but also for the lows. Austin lost his mother a month after his birthday, and Vanessa was there to support him during his time of grieving.

The following year, Austin Butler opened up about how he and Vanessa make their relationship work. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the 2015 MTV Music Awards, he said:

"It's important to put that other person first... If you're constantly looking for ways that you can make them happy, and they're constantly looking for ways that they can make you happy, then you kind of lift each other up as much as possible and you can't go wrong."

In 2016, Vanessa Hudgens lost her father to stage IV cancer. Vanessa shared the news of her father's passing just hours before she was supposed to perform Grease: Live. Austin Butler took to X to share his support for his girlfriend, writing:

"WOW @VanessaHudgens singing 'Worst Things' had me in tears. Just brilliant #GreaseLive."

In the same year, a few weeks after her Grease: Live performance, the couple went to Sedona to see the red rocks and got in trouble. Vanessa posted a photo of their names carved into one of the red rocks, which prompted an investigation from the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest. She had to pay $1000 and remove the photo from her feed.

2016 was an eventful year for Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler. They took a trip to Italy and went on a double date with Ashley Tisdale and her husband.

Tisdale also shared how she feels about her two friends dating. She told PEOPLE:

"I mean, it's great because Austin was my best friend since way before they got together, so it's just nice to have your two best friends be in a relationship."

She added:

"We do dinner parties... A lot of the time we do dinner parties at one of our houses, and we all cook dinner together and have a bunch of girls over. Sometimes we do a themed night – she loves a good theme. One time we watched the Victoria's Secret model show and I had onesies for everyone."

The couple had been dating for about six years when Vanessa shared how they were making long-distance work. At the time, Austin Butler was filming The Shannara Chronicles in New Zealand. Hudgens spoke to PEOPLE and said:

"Just communication, communication is key... I think that if anything's bothering you, don't hold it in. Always bring it up and just talk about it. Uncensor yourself and just be open."

In 2017, Vanessa posted a photo on Instagram that had everyone talking about the ring on her finger. However, the Sucker Punch actress immediately shut down the rumors on Twitter (now X), saying:

"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."

In 2019, the couple was spotted at Coachella again, but this time with new hair, or a wig. Vanessa was wearing a bright orange wig with a bob cut, while Austin Butler was showing off his recently dyed dark hair for a role. Austin Butler was chosen for the role of Elvis Presley for his biopic. She took to Instagram to share the news, writing:

"I AMMMM OVERRRR THE F—— MOOOOOOOOONNNNN. I CAN'T WAIT 😍😍😍😍😍😍 SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!"

Vanessa and Austin have been with each other for seven years. From celebrating his 23rd birthday to being there with him for his 28th. She wrote on Instagram:

"To my love, my other half, my constant inspiration and supporter. My best friend. My everything. 28 is going to be 🔥🔥🔥"

By 2020, news of their breakup began circulating after fans noticed that they did not share photos celebrating the holidays together. A source spoke to PEOPLE, saying:

"They really loved each other and have been through some of their toughest life moments together... Busy work schedules and travel definitely put a strain on the relationship. They were a wonderful couple, and it's really sad that it didn't work out."

Another source told PEOPLE that Hudgens was enjoying her single life, despite the difficult breakup. In their words:

"The breakup isn't easy, but she's not one to sit around and mope... She's living it up and having fun. She seems really happy and excited about life, honestly."

Two years after their breakup, Austin Butler did an interview with GQ, where he said:

"Life is full of changes, and you've got to find a way to constantly be evolving and growing," when asked about his breakup with Hudgens.

Even after the breakup, the two remained friends and often acknowledged each other for certain achievements they had made in their lives. Austin Butler said about how she suggested he audition for the role of Elvis Presley in the biopic:

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"We'd been together for so long and she had this sort of clairvoyant moment and so I really, I owe her a lot for believing in me."

Also read: What is Vanessa Hudgens' net worth in 2025? Fortune explored as actress expands her family with second child with Cole Tucker

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