Austin Butler just made a rare comment about his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens. While talking to Esquire, the actor opened up about the backlash he received last year for referring to Hudgens as simply a “friend” during an Actors Roundtable conversation. Although some fans thought his comment minimized his nine-year relationship with the Disney Channel alumn, Butler explained he had a good reason for not explicitly mentioning Hudgens’ name in the now-viral interview.
Austin Butler Wanted to Protect Vanessa Hudgens’ Privacy
The Dune: Part Two star said he never meant any harm by calling Hudgens a “friend.” In fact, he said he has “so much love and care” for the High School Musical actress despite them not being together anymore. Since he has such an appreciation for her, Butler chose not to name Hudgens during The Hollywood Reporter’s Actors Roundtable last year to protect her privacy.
I felt that I was respecting her privacy in a way and not wanting to bring up a ton of things that would cause her to have to talk.
Austin Butler
Butler clarified he never meant to “erase” their history with his comment. He only intended to avoid dragging Hudgens into a conversation she may not want to be a part of, but it backfired. Although his plan didn’t turn out as he had hoped, Butler ultimately “learned a lesson” from the whole experience.
The actor’s controversial comment happened while talking about landing the titular role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. When asked if he ever envisioned himself playing The King on screen, Butler admitted it “never” crossed his mind. However, a friend immediately saw his potential after hearing him sing along to an Elvis Christmas song on the radio.
My friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to play Elvis.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s such a long shot.’ Then my agent called and said, ‘So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film …’ The hairs just stood up on my arms.
Austin Butler
The encouragement from Butler’s friend made him go after the role. Of course, the rest was history as Butler went on to play Elvis and win several accolades for his performance.
After Butler’s comment raised speculation about his friend’s identity, fans soon discovered he was talking about Hudgens since it matched a story she once told in 2019 while appearing on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
Since breaking up in 2020, Butler has moved on with model Kaia Gerber. Meanwhile, Hudgens recently married professional baseball player Cole Tucker in Tulum, Mexico, in December 2023.
