Austin Butler Defends Calling Ex Vanessa Hudgens a 'Friend': 'I Was in No Way Trying to Erase Anything'

Mar. 15, 2025

Austin Butler; Vanessa Hudgens.Photo: getty (2)Austin Butleris clarifying why he referred toex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgensas simply a “friend” after fan outrage over the moment.In a newEsquireinterview, theDune: Part Twoactor, 32, explained why in a previous interview when he told a story about Hudgens he didn’t name her, instead calling her a friend.“Oh, yeah, I learned a lesson with that one. I felt that I was respecting her privacy in a way and not wanting to bring up a ton of things that would cause her to have to talk," said Butler.“I have so much love and care for her. It was in no way trying to erase anything,” he added.Butler said because “I value my own privacy so much, I didn’t want to give up anybody else’s privacy.“The actor referred to his ex while discussing his Oscar-nominatedElvisrole during a 2023Hollywood ReporterActors Roundtableconversation: “The month before I heard that Baz [Luhrmann] was making the movie, I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend, and there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio and I was singing along, and my friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to play Elvis.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s such a long shot.’ “Austin Butler.Robbie FimmanoNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“A couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano,” he continued at the time. “I never really sang for any of my friends or anything. That same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, ‘I’m serious. You gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script.’ Then my agent called and said, ‘So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film.’ “Fans online connected the dots, though, finding that Hudgens shared a nearly identical story years ago when the two were still together.Austin Butler.Robbie Fimmano"Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on,” Hudgens said on a 2019 episode ofLive with Kelly and Ryan. “He had just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural blond, and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, ‘Babe, you need to play Elvis.’ ““Then in January, he was sitting at the piano,” she added. “And he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how, but you need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know how we get rights or what we do, but you need to play him.’ “Austin Butler.Amy Sussman/GettyButler and Hudgens were spotted together for the first time in 2011, and they made public appearances at red carpets after that.A source confirmed to PEOPLEthat the two broke up shortly after, officially splitting in January 2020, citing demanding work and travel schedules.Both have since moved on, Butler with modelKaia Gerber, and Hudgens with pro baseball playerCole Tucker, whomshe married in December.Butler gave a rare comment about his relationship with Gerber, 22, tellingEsquiresimply: “I’m happy.”

Austin Butler; Vanessa Hudgens.Photo: getty (2)

Austin Butleris clarifying why he referred toex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgensas simply a “friend” after fan outrage over the moment.In a newEsquireinterview, theDune: Part Twoactor, 32, explained why in a previous interview when he told a story about Hudgens he didn’t name her, instead calling her a friend.“Oh, yeah, I learned a lesson with that one. I felt that I was respecting her privacy in a way and not wanting to bring up a ton of things that would cause her to have to talk,” said Butler.“I have so much love and care for her. It was in no way trying to erase anything,” he added.Butler said because “I value my own privacy so much, I didn’t want to give up anybody else’s privacy.“The actor referred to his ex while discussing his Oscar-nominatedElvisrole during a 2023Hollywood ReporterActors Roundtableconversation: “The month before I heard that Baz [Luhrmann] was making the movie, I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend, and there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio and I was singing along, and my friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to play Elvis.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s such a long shot.’ “Austin Butler.Robbie FimmanoNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“A couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano,” he continued at the time. “I never really sang for any of my friends or anything. That same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, ‘I’m serious. You gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script.’ Then my agent called and said, ‘So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film.’ “Fans online connected the dots, though, finding that Hudgens shared a nearly identical story years ago when the two were still together.Austin Butler.Robbie Fimmano"Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on,” Hudgens said on a 2019 episode ofLive with Kelly and Ryan. “He had just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural blond, and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, ‘Babe, you need to play Elvis.’ ““Then in January, he was sitting at the piano,” she added. “And he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how, but you need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know how we get rights or what we do, but you need to play him.’ “Austin Butler.Amy Sussman/GettyButler and Hudgens were spotted together for the first time in 2011, and they made public appearances at red carpets after that.A source confirmed to PEOPLEthat the two broke up shortly after, officially splitting in January 2020, citing demanding work and travel schedules.Both have since moved on, Butler with modelKaia Gerber, and Hudgens with pro baseball playerCole Tucker, whomshe married in December.Butler gave a rare comment about his relationship with Gerber, 22, tellingEsquiresimply: “I’m happy.”

Austin Butleris clarifying why he referred toex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgensas simply a “friend” after fan outrage over the moment.

In a newEsquireinterview, theDune: Part Twoactor, 32, explained why in a previous interview when he told a story about Hudgens he didn’t name her, instead calling her a friend.

“Oh, yeah, I learned a lesson with that one. I felt that I was respecting her privacy in a way and not wanting to bring up a ton of things that would cause her to have to talk,” said Butler.

“I have so much love and care for her. It was in no way trying to erase anything,” he added.

Butler said because “I value my own privacy so much, I didn’t want to give up anybody else’s privacy.”

The actor referred to his ex while discussing his Oscar-nominatedElvisrole during a 2023Hollywood ReporterActors Roundtableconversation: “The month before I heard that Baz [Luhrmann] was making the movie, I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend, and there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio and I was singing along, and my friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to play Elvis.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s such a long shot.’ "

Austin Butler.Robbie Fimmano

Robbie Fimmano

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“A couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano,” he continued at the time. “I never really sang for any of my friends or anything. That same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, ‘I’m serious. You gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script.’ Then my agent called and said, ‘So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film.’ "

Fans online connected the dots, though, finding that Hudgens shared a nearly identical story years ago when the two were still together.

“Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on,” Hudgens said on a 2019 episode ofLive with Kelly and Ryan. “He had just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural blond, and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, ‘Babe, you need to play Elvis.’ "

“Then in January, he was sitting at the piano,” she added. “And he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how, but you need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know how we get rights or what we do, but you need to play him.’ "

Austin Butler.Amy Sussman/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty

Butler and Hudgens were spotted together for the first time in 2011, and they made public appearances at red carpets after that.A source confirmed to PEOPLEthat the two broke up shortly after, officially splitting in January 2020, citing demanding work and travel schedules.

Both have since moved on, Butler with modelKaia Gerber, and Hudgens with pro baseball playerCole Tucker, whomshe married in December.

Butler gave a rare comment about his relationship with Gerber, 22, tellingEsquiresimply: “I’m happy.”

source: people.com