- Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens met on the set of “High School Musical.”
- They began as friends but their friendship blossomed into a relationship.
- Starting in 2005, here is the couple’s relationship timeline.
It’s been seven years and counting since things took a romantic turn between former Disney stars Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler.
Here’s a complete timeline of Hudgens and Butler’s relationship, from its early beginnings in the “High School Musical” franchise to making long distance work to the “Princess Switch” star christening her beau her “rock” in a December 2018 interview.
2005: Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler reportedly met on the set of High School Musical.
According to the Daily Mail, Hudgens and Butler were first introduced while the actress was filming the very first “High School Musical,” thought Butler was not in the film.Hudgens had just begun dating ex-boyfriend Zac Efron at that time, but the pair quickly became friends – a natural progression as they were both a part of the Disney universe.
September 2011: Butler was reportedly seen leaving Hudgens’ house, sparking romance rumors.
After Hudgens’ split from Efron in December 2010, she was linked to Josh Hutcherson and then Butler after the “Zoey 101” actor was reportedly spotted leaving her home one night in September 2011. At the time, a source told Hollywood Life that it was a “friends with benefits situation,” but the pair packed on the PDA just days later at Bob’s Big Boy in Los Angeles.
"They were together but in a large group," a source told People. "They were not doing anything to show that they were really together romantically but they were definitely hanging out and having fun."
September 2012: The pair took their romance out on the town.
While Butler and Hudgens didn't appear in any hurry to put a label on their relationship, they enjoyed keeping fans guessing during most of 2012. In September, the couple was spotted on a romantic Italian dinner in Venice and in December, they were seen kissing at a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.
December 6, 2013: Austin made his first appearance on Vanessa’s Instagram.
Fans lost it when Hudgens posted the very first photo of her rumored beau on Instagram on December 6, 2013, shortly followed by another group shot on December 20. While the caption on the second photo - "Hot damn I've got some seriously sexy friends" with the hashtag #besties - appeared to hint that things were still pretty casual, it was the first time Butler had made it onto her social media.
August 18, 2014: Vanessa's birthday message to Austin cemented them as a couple.
The following August Hudgens took to Instagram to confirm that not only were she and Butler in a relationship but that he was also "the love of [her] life."
"Yesterday was the love of my life's birthday," she wrote on August 18, 2014. "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."
August 22, 2015: Austin posted his first picture of Vanessa on Instagram.
Approximately one year later, "The Carrie Diaries" star returned the favor by sharing the first photo of his girlfriend to Instagram, albeit with no caption.
August 31, 2015: Butler spoke publicly about his relationship with Hudgens for the first time.
Despite staying mum on Instagram, the reticent star was a lot more forthcoming about what made their relationship work so well during the MTV Music Video Awards in 2015.
"It's important to put that other person first," the actor said in an interview with ETOnline. "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."
February 1, 2016 — Butler was by Hudgens' side during her father's passing.
Hudgens performed in "Grease Live" just one day after her father Greg died after battling cancer. The actress revealed that she would be doing the show "in his honor." Butler took to Twitter to reveal that he was "in tears" at her performance.
March 23, 2017: Hudgens opened up about how the longtime couple makes their long-distance relationship work.
In 2017, the pair successfully navigated taking their relationship long distance while Butler was in New Zealand filming the second season of "The Shannara Chronicles."
"Just communication, communication is key," Hudgens told People in a March 2017 interview about their "very long-distance" romance.
Her words of advice? "I think that if anything's bothering you, don't hold it in," she said. "Always bring it up and just talk about it. Un-censor yourself and just be open."
December 16, 2017: Reports swirled that they were engaged.
The actress sent her fans into overdrive when she shared an Instagram post on December 16, 2017, that showed her wearing a diamond sparkler on her ring finger.
She quickly set the record straight, taking to Twitter on December 19 to clarify: "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."
March 29, 2018: Hudgens explained why she's in no rush to get engaged.
Hudgens addressed the engagement rumors in a March 2018 interview with ETOnline, telling fans that they shouldn't get their hopes up for a Hudgens-Butler engagement anytime soon. When asked if the speculation had put pressure on the pair, she told the publication, "No, because if I felt pressure in a relationship, we wouldn't have been together for almost seven years."
She played coy when questioned if the thought of marriage was currently on her mind. "Each couple has their own journey," she replied.
December 13, 2018: Hudgens called Butler her "rock" and shares the secret to their relationship.
Hudgens continued to confirm that the pair's seven-year relationship is stronger than ever at the premiere of her latest film, "Second Act" in New York City. On December 13, 2018, the actress told ETOnline that her boyfriend's continued support means "everything" to her.
"He's a wonderful supporter ... I'm happy to have him here," she said to the publication. "I think it's so important to have a person who is your rock."
Hudgens' latest interview echoes remarks she made in August that the pair "always have each others' backs" as well as a November 13 interview with Women's Health where she attributed the success of her relationship to the fact that her beau inspires her to be better.
"He inspires me more than anyone," she told the publication. "We both respect, trust, and admire each other. It's so solid now because I feel strong as an independent woman. I am very self-reliant, but it's nice to have a best friend you can share victories with as well as losses ... He inspires me more than anyone."
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