Before he was a casual Academy Award nominee possessed by the spirit of Elvis, Austin Butler was an ABC Family star best known for Switched at Birth, something called The Shannara Chronicles (which I’m going to need us to watch immediately), and going to Coachella with his longtime girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens.
Austin and Vanessa broke up back in 2020 after almost a decade of dating, and nowadays, they’re both in relationships with other people (he’s dating Kaia Gerber; she’s newly engaged to Cole Tucker). But their relationship has been thrust back into the spotlight due to the fact that Austin has Vanessa to thank for landing the role of Elvis—and up until recently, he hasn’t given her credit, leading to some extreeeeemely awkward energy.
So yeah, in the interest of American history, we went ahead and put together an abridged Austin and Vanessa timeline just to remind you exactly what happened in their relationship.
2011
Austin and Vanessa are spotted getting cozy at a party for Ashley Tisdale’s sister in September. I mean, what celebrity relationship DIDN’T start at a Tisdale party, you know?!
2012
Austin and Vanessa are spotted kissing at a Lakers game in January, and it’s more than clear that they’re official:
Actually, they make a lot of appearances this year, like this one feat. the deepest V-neck shirt known to man.
A month later, they make their first red carpet appearance at the premiere of Journey 2. The Elvis of its time, some say!
And that spring, they make the first of many trips to Coachella:
2013
A kinda zzz year for Vaustin, but they do celebrate Vanessa’s 25th birthday.
2014
Otherwise known as the year Vanessa and Austin go Instagram official!
And the year they step out looking chic at an Academy Awards viewing party:
And the year Austin decides to grow a man bun:
2015
Not much to report, other than the fact that Austin spends a lot of time cosplaying as ’90s Brad Pitt:
2016
Austin and Vanessa still seem v much in love, at least according to pap pics from this era.
Although this is also the year they get in trouble for defacing a rock with “Austin + Vanessa” in Sedona.
2017
These two continue to look obsessed with each other at various events in 2017:
Although their relationship is long-distance thanks to Austin filming his show in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Vanessa shuts down engagement rumors on Twitter.
2018
Austin and Vanessa attended this extremely important premiere:
And then Austin dyes his hair to look more like Vanessa (or to look more like Elvis…either way).
2019
Austin and Vanessa start 2019 strong! In April, they go to Coachella, per usual:
And in July, Austin is cast as Elvis and Vanessa truly could not be more supportive:
She even goes on Live With Kelly and Ryan to tell the story of how Austin got the role, saying she manifested it for him:
“It’s so crazy because last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on. He had just dyed his hair dark—he’s a natural-blonde blonde—and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, ‘Babe, you need to play Elvis. I don’t know how, but I’m serious. You need to play him.’ Then in January, he was sitting at the piano—he’s a musician—and he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how, but we need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know how we get rights or what we do, but you need to play him.’”
However, things are clearly tense BTS, because just one month later, they attend their last public event together:
2020
Us Weekly announces that Austin and Vanessa are over in January 2020, with a source saying, “Vanessa and Austin are officially broken up, and Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup.” According to People, “They had talked about an engagement before they split up. They really loved each other and have been through some of their toughest life moments together.”
2022
Two years after their split, Austin and Vanessa’s relationship is back in the spotlight thanks to Austin’s Elvis Oscar campaign. Specifically, when he fails to give Vanessa credit during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, saying, per Page Six, “The month before I heard that Baz was making the movie, I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend. And there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio and I was singing along, and my friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve gotta play Elvis!’” He continued, “And then a couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano…that same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, ‘I’m serious—you gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script….’”
That “friend” was Vanessa, obviously. Amid all this, Vanessa pokes fun at Austin’s nonstop Elvis accent:
And then Austin FINALLY gives her credit at the end of January, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I was with my partner at the time…that’s right. 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.”
Which brings us up to date! But we’ll be updating you if anything changes. 👀
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
![spider man](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/tom-holland-and-zendaya-attend-sony-pictures-spider-man-no-news-photo-1696542099.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.714xh;0,0&resize=360:* "Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals")
![lionsgate presents the world premiere of the hunger games the ballad of songbirds snakes](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/rachel-zegler-and-josh-andr-c3-a9s-rivera-attend-the-world-news-photo-1700066370.jpg?crop=0.506xw:0.337xh;0.263xw,0.140xh&resize=360:* "Lionsgate Presents The World Premiere Of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes"")
