Vanessa Hudgens Says Austin Butler Split Led Her to the ‘Right Person’

Vanessa Hudgens found a silver lining in her split from Austin Butler and how it pushed her to her now-husband, Cole Tucker. 

During the Wednesday, March 6, episode of the “She Pivots” podcast, Hudgens, 35, opened up about her dating history, including her nine-year relationship with Butler, 32. (Us Weekly exclusively confirmed the breakup in 2020.)

Asked by host Emily Tisch Sussman how a past obstacle impacted her success, Hudgens shared, “I feel like so much of my character was built from my breakups.”

She later added, “I feel like my last breakup has really catapulted me to a very, very special place, obviously, getting married.”

Related: Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker’s Relationship Timeline

Vanessa Hudgens found The One in Cole Tucker. The pair first sparked romance rumors when they were spotted holding hands in November 2020, less than one year after Hudgens split from longtime love Austin Butler. Hudgens and Tucker went Instagram official in honor of Valentine’s Day the following year. “Me and Cole met on a […]

Hudgens credited the heartbreak for “push[ing] me to the right person, which I’m so grateful for,” before gushing over Tucker, 27, adding, “Because he’s just the most supportive, real understanding human being that I’ve ever met.”

She and the MLB player first sparked romance speculation when they were spotted out and about holding hands in 2020.

Months later, Hudgens revealed that she and Tucker had met on a “Zoom mediation group,” and he slid into her DMs.

“He’s just kind of perfect for me. I am [happy]. I really am,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “I think that it’s also so important to stay grateful for everything that you have in life. I’ve been making that a priority, and I feel like it’s just been making magic happen all the more.”

Tucker also swooned over Hudgens during an interview at a training.

“I got a girlfriend and she’s cool. She’s awesome, I love her,” he told reporters. “She’s great. She’ll be around. You will see her, but you saw the headline, it is what it is.”

Related: Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler’s Quotes About Each Other Post-Split

Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens may have a little less conversation following their 2020 breakup, but the exes continue to pay tribute to their past together. In September 2022 — two years after Us Weekly confirmed the pair had split — Hudgens called her nine-year-long relationship with Butler “life-changing.” “The public only sees so much,” […]

The pair were determined to stay together despite their busy schedules. A source exclusively told Us in October 2021 that they were “going strong” and “very much still part of each other’s lives.”

The insider added that Hudgens is “very supportive” of Tucker’s career and “sends him good luck texts” when she can’t make a game.

“They try to plan fun dates when their schedules allow, but when they’re not together, they certainly FaceTime and talk all the time,” the insider continued. “They really make a cute couple.”

Tucker proposed to the High School Musical alum in late 2022, and the pair tied the knot the following year. Before getting married, Hudgens revealed on Today With Hoda and Jenna that she was “probably going to take” Tucker’s last name.

Butler, meanwhile, has been dating Kaia Gerber since late 2021. Earlier this year, Butler told Esquire that he still has “so much love” for Hudgens after their breakup.