Relationship
Vanessa Hudgens almost “gave up” on dating after her split from Austin Butler in January 2020. Less than a year later, she met her future husband in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I remember in quarantine I was like, Cool, I’m single now and I can’t meet anybody, so I guess I’ll go on a dating app,” Hudgens said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in May 2021. “But I always said I would never go on a dating app, and then I found myself on a dating app and I was like, ‘I hate myself!’”
Turns out, Hudgens wouldn’t meet MLB player Cole Tucker on Raya, but in a weekly Zoom meditation group during the lockdown. “I’m such a go-getter. If I want something or someone, I’m going after him,” she continued. “I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’ I think there’s no shame in making the first move. If you want it, why wait for someone else to give you what you want?”
Here’s a complete timeline of Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker’s relationship.
January 2020: A source confirms to Us Weekly that Butler and Hudgens have split after nine years. “Vanessa and Austin are officially broken up, and Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup,” the insider said in mid-January.
January 14, 2020: Hudgens makes her first appearance since her breakup on the red-carpet at the premiere of Bad Boys for Life. It’s a mood.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images
March 2020–January 2021: Hudgens and Tucker meet in a Zoom meditation group sometime during the COVID-19 lockdown.
During the lockdown, a friend invited her to join their weekly Zoom meditation group and text chain with everyone from Joe Jonas to Wilmer Valderrama. “Everyone’s sending, like, GIFs of themselves,” she told Barrymore in May 2021. “Then there’s, like, a GIF in the group chat of a baseball player, and he’s slamming onto a base and I thought it was a joke. So I just responded, ‘Hot.’” It turned out to be a gif of Tucker, who was in their next Zoom meeting.
February 14, 2021: Hudgens and Tucker hard-launch their relationship on Instagram.
November 10, 2021: Hudgens and Tucker make their red-carpet debut at the AFI Fest premiere of Netflix’s Tick, tick…BOOM!.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
November 2022: According to a report by TMZ, Tucker reportedly proposes to Hudgens towards the end of 2022, likely during their romantic trip to Paris in November. People confirmed their engagement on February 3, 2023.
December 14, 2022: Tucker posts a sweet birthday tribute to Hudgens.
February 9, 2023: Hudgens confirms the engagement with photos from Paris. “YES. We couldn’t be happier,” the High School Musical star captioned her ring debut on Instagram.
March 12, 2023: Hudgens and Butler appear to have a cordial encounter at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
April 14, 2023: Hudgens discusses the security she feels with her fiancé during an appearance on Today with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. “It feels amazing. It’s so funny, I was talking about this with Cole [Tucker], my partner, and people are always like, ‘Does it feel different? Do things feel different?’ That was always my question normally, but now I get to be asked it.”
Hudgens was all smiles when she gushed about how safe Tucker makes her feel and the joy is infectious. “And you know what, it actually does,” she says. “There’s a sense of security. You feel so safe. It’s the best thing ever. I love being a fiancée.” Swoon.
This post will be updated.
