Austin Butler is finally giving fans a little bit of insight into his breakup from Vanessa Hudgens .
Following a relationship that lasted the better part of a decade, the actors called it quits back in 2020, shocking fans who thought they’d be together forever. Of course, this was a bigger change for Butler and Hudgens more than anyone, but both of them stayed pretty quiet about the split, keeping things private.
But this week, during an interview for GQ Hype, Butler was asked about the end of their eight-year romance, which led to the actor giving a rare comment about their split.
“Life is full of changes,” he told the publication, “and you’ve got to find a way to constantly be evolving and growing.”
Vanessa and Austin started dating in 2011, going on to stick by one another’s side until confirming their split in January 2020.
“It’s hard for me to even put into words how much that girl means to me,” the Elvis star told E! News at the Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood premiere prior to their split in 2019. “I’m so inspired by her every day and just love her to my core.”
Since Butler gave her such high praise, fans shocked when news broke in January 2020 that the pair had broken . Although neither party publicly shared a reason for going their separate ways at the time, a source told E! News it was “a matter of distance.” Apparently, their work schedules were keeping them apart as she worked on The Princess Switch: Switched Again and he prepared to start filming Elvis.
The insider added, “There is no bad blood at all, and they have a lot of respect for each other.”
Since their split, both have moved on. Hudgens is currently dating baseball player Cole Tucker. The pair made their relationship Instagram official in February 2021.
As for Butler, he’s been romantically linked to Kaia Gerber. They walked the Met Gala red carpet together earlier this month.
