Inside Austin Butler's Relationship History
Austin Butler was thrust into the spotlight after landing the role of the "King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley in the 2022 film "Elvis." With an acting background in mainly teen television series, and after beating out Harry Styles for the coveted role, Butler had big shoes to fill. But, with Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie Presley praising Butler's performance by tweeting, "In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully," it looks like he's got the acting thing nailed down.
Comparing him to the likes of a young Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Carrie Diaries" actor is not only making headlines for his breakout roles (he also nabbed roles in the upcoming "Dune: Part Two" film and the Apple TV+ miniseries "Masters of the Air"), but also for his many love interests. Although Butler's relationship history looks quite short, his whirlwind rise to fame has many people wondering about the women he has dated and who he is going strong with as of this writing.
Let's take a closer look into Austin Butler's relationship history.
Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens were the real deal
Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler began dating in 2011, after her split from Zac Efron, and in no time they were labeled "relationship goals." Although they were in their early 20s and rising Hollywood stars, they managed to maintain a strong relationship that would last eight years.
Fans first saw the couple walk the red carpet debut in February 2012 for the premiere of Hudgens' film "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island." They were seen attending Hudgens' favorite festival, Coachella, in April, and later in the year, were spotted vacationing in Italy to see Hudgens' "Spring Breakers" in the Venice Film Festival. In 2015, Butler told Entertainment Tonight how their relationship was so successful, sharing, "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."
However, as they were both working on their careers, with Butler filming in New Zealand in 2017 for "The Shannara Chronicles," Hudgens opened up to People about their long-distance relationship. "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," she shared. Hudgens and Butler found a way to make it work, for a long time.
Their busy schedules may have led to their split
Vanessa Hudgens shot down rumors of an engagement in late 2017 when she posted a photo on Twitter with what appeared to be a ring on that finger. However, even though fans were highly anticipating wedding bells in the near future, she and Austin Butler continued to have a successful Hollywood relationship and were each other's biggest support systems, especially when Butler landed his Elvis Presley role.
In July 2019, upon learning that Butler got the role, Hudgens gushed on Instagram, "I AMMMM OVERRR THE F***ING MOOOOOOOOONNNNN. I CANT WAIT ... SO PROUD OF MY HONEYYYYY!!!" In January 2020, she spilled more deets on making her relationship with Butler work, telling Cosmopolitan UK, "It's eight years this year — FaceTime, good communication, respect, and trust [are what keeps us going]." However, that same month, Us Weekly announced that the couple had shockingly split.
According to E! News, their break-up might have been due to their heavy workloads. Hudgens was filming "The Princess Switch: Switched Again" in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland, while Butler was busy transforming into the "King of Rock and Roll" in Australia. A source shared, "They're just shooting on two different continents and it's a matter of distance. There is no bad blood at all, and they have a lot of respect for each other." People later reported that Hudgens was dating Pittsburgh Pirates player Cole Tucker. As of this writing, the duo are still going strong.
Rumors swirled that Austin Butler was dating his Elvis co-star Olivia DeJonge
After Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens' split, news outlets were reporting that the actor quickly moved on to his "Elvis" co-star Olivia DeJonge in January 2020. Neither star confirmed nor denied a relationship, but MTV News shared that an onlooker spotted the two appearing "very cozy" while they were seen at a movie theatre in Australia.
According to the Daily Mail, Butler and DeJonge only fueled more romance rumors when they were also seen soaking up the sun on Queensland's Gold Coast in November 2020. Of course, all these speculations did not mean that the acting duo were an item, and with "Elvis" being shot on location in Australia, it seemed that the stars were taking some time off from filming. However, it's not uncommon for co-stars to fall head over heels for one another.
While it was believed that Butler and DeJonge were dating for most of 2020, in May 2022, the co-stars seemed to just be good friends while attending the 2022 Met Gala along with their other "Elvis" castmates to talk about their highly anticipated film. Fans may never know what exactly went down between these two.
Austin Butler and Lily-Rose Depp packed on the PDA
Lily-Rose Depp, the daughter of Johnny Depp and French singer Vanessa Paradis, also found herself making tabloid headlines when photos surfaced of her and Austin Butler locking lips in London in August 2021.
According to the Daily Mail, the stars were out having dinner and were later seen taking a stroll together, kissing on the streets of the U.K. capital. However, like his Australian outings with his "Elvis" co-star Olivia DeJonge, his relationship with Depp was also never confirmed or denied. With the Daily Mail's photographs showing the stars sharing a passionate kiss, it's easy to assume that they were more than friends at the time. But by December 2021, it seemed that Depp and Butler's romance was just a summer fling, as the "Switched at Birth" star had already moved on to the daughter of a popular supermodel.
Before she was seen making out with Butler, Depp was in a relationship with her "The King" co-star Timothée Chalamet. The pair began dating in late 2018, when they were seen kissing in New York City, and were last photographed by paparazzi in Italy in September 2019. Us Weekly confirmed that their romance officially ended in April 2020.
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber made their red carpet debut
Dating rumors sparked when Kaia Gerber, the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and a model in her own right, was seen attending a yoga class with Austin Butler in Los Angeles in December 2021 (via the Daily Mail). From there, it seemed like the new duo was trying to keep their romance under wraps, but paparazzi were able to snag photos of them out and about in Paris and showing signs of affection while grocery shopping at a farmer's market in 2022.
It had just been a month since Gerber broke up with actor Jacob Elordi when she struck up a romantic relationship with Butler. Page Six reported that the model and the "Euphoria" actor's relationship began around September 2020 and they made it Instagram official on Halloween that same year. Elordi and Gerber called it quits in November 2021, with the report stating that it was an "amicable" break-up.
For the time being, things between Gerber and Butler seem serious, especially after they attended the Met Gala together. Gerber showed her support for her beau at the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of "Elvis" in May 2022, and the two had no problem proclaiming their love for one another by sharing a huge kiss. However, when asked about his new flame for GQ, Butler remained mum about the subject, sharing, "I don't think there's anything I want to share about that. But thank you for providing the space."