Why Vanessa Hudgens is Grateful for Austin Butler Split

Vanessa Hudgens is glad she went her own way.

The High School Musical alum reflected on her nine-year relationship with ex Austin Butler while sharing how she feels her past romances ultimately brought her to husband Cole Tucker.

“I feel like so much of my character was built from my breakups,” Vanessa explained on the She Pivots podcast’s March 6 episode. “My last breakup had really catapulted me into a very, very special place.”

“It pushed me to the right person, which I’m so grateful for,” she continued, adding of Cole, “He is just the most supportive, real, understanding human being that I’ve ever met.”

Vanessa and Austin broke up after nearly a decade together in early 2020. And since then, the former couple appear to have found what they’d been looking for. The Elvis star began dating model Kaia Gerber in 2022, while the Spring Breakers actress tied the knot with Cole in Tulum, Mexico, in December.