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.

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And ahead of the nuptials, the 35-year-old admitted the planning process was overwhelming—in the best possible way.

"It is so much," she told E! News in November. "So many things to decide on. And it's hard for me because I love so many different styles."

And ultimately, the planning process worked out as she and the baseball player were absolutely soaring, flying after their wedding.

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"It was genuinely the most magical weekend of my life," Vanessa told Vogue in December. "I am so grateful that we got to have a private wedding, and it helped that I took everyone's phones away. It was amazing because at the dinner, I would look around and everyone was talking to each other—our family and friend groups coming together and creating real relationships that I know they're going to invest real time into."

She added, "I couldn't have dreamt it to be any better."

Keep reading to relive some of Cole and Vanessa's fairytale love story.