It’s hard to believe that High School Musical is just shy of turning two decades old, but many of the stars have gone on to have fruitful careers outside of Disney. Zac Efron’s recent performance in The Iron Claw was a tear jerker, and he flawlessly channeled Ted Bundy for 2019’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Elsewhere, Corbin Bleu’s latest credits include a two-episode stint on Dynasty, TV movies like A Christmas Dance Reunion, Love, for Real and Campfire Christmas. Vanessa Hudgens, who played leading lady Gabriella Montez throughout the musical film franchise has also been expanding her creative resume over the years, but it’s her marriage to Cole Tucker that’s had all eyes on her lately.
The California native’s history of long-term relationships had some thinking she had already met her soulmate, but it wasn’t until she walked away from her most high-profile bond in pursuit of true love that it finally made its way to her. Hudgens and Tucker’s nuptials were incredibly private, and at the Oscars this month, many were happy to see that their family is already expanding.
Vanessa Hudgens’ Past Relationships
Before she settled down with the man of her dreams, Hudgens was in a handful of high-profile relationships with past co-stars and Academy Award nominees. As she was first rising to fame in the mid-2000s thanks to Disney’s High School Musical, she and Zac Efron found themselves falling fast for one another. “By being in a relationship, I feel like it kind of kept me stabilized and grounded, and I had someone to lean on who was going through it as well,” she reflected on the Awards Chatter podcast in 2018. Some fans still ship them to this day, but as they grew into their 20s, Hudgens and Efron ultimately grew apart.
Following that break-up came a short fling with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island co-star Josh Hutcherson before her most fashionable boyfriend of all, Austin Butler, stepped up to the plate. They famously dominated Coachella together for nearly a decade, though they didn’t make their union IG official until 2014. Their split was difficult for both parties, as well as their friends and fans, but it was inevitable as the actor began pouring all of his energy into Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic. When their relationship ended in 2020, Hudgens was briefly outside with NBA star Kyle Kuzma before fate introduced her to her current lover, Cole Tucker.
Who Is Vanessa Hudgens’ Husband, Cole Tucker?
After spending most of her life dating actors, the black-haired beauty decided that athletes were her ultimate match when she married the Phoenix-born MLB player. He grew up in Arizona with two brothers and his White mom, Erin (former UofA track and volleyball athlete) and Black dad, Jackie, who spent time playing minor league baseball professionally. Born July 3rd, 1996, he’s seven years younger than Hudgens, who’s birthday is December 14th, 1988.
Tucker’s love for baseball developed at an early age, and he even had the opportunity to represent Team USA in the 18U Baseball World Cup during his senior year. Not long after that, the 27-year-old was drafted first round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, impressing everyone as the 24th overall pick of the season. “I was a 17-year-old high school senior and I got drafted by them, and I got to the big leagues with them, and I had success with them. So many great people there, I’m really humbled for all of it, appreciative of all of it,” Hudgens’ husband once told AZ Central of his eight-year stint with the team.
2022 was a big year for Tucker, as he signed a deal in his home state to play for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, injury kept him from playing in the majors and he signed a minor contract with the Colarado Rockies a few months later. As of 2023, the newlywed is a free agent, though he actively cheers his younger brother Carson, who’s now playing in the MLB, on.
How Did the Baseball Pro and Actress First Meet?
Some might argue that Cole Tucker manifested his wife into his life long before their first time crossing paths. He tweeted about wanting to watch HSM and have a woman scratch his back in 2012 – nearly a decade before he and Hudgens met during a meditation group on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. After this chance encounter, the “Say OK” singer felt compelled to contact Tucker again in hopes of deepening their connection.
“I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’ So I think there is no shame in making the first move,” she dished on The Drew Barrymore show. “Why wait for someone else to give you what you want?” By November 2020, the media was speculating that love was in the air as they stepped out for dinner together in Los Angeles. “After our first weekend together, I called my sister [Stella], and I was like, ‘I think I just found my future husband,” Hudgens confessed while on Hoda & Jenna.
Tucker proudly introduced his girl to the world when they went IG official on Valentine’s Day 2021. Later that year they made their debut red carpet appearance for the premiere of Tick, Tick… Boom! and Hudgens has been known to be her man’s cheerleader from up in the stands whenever he’s out on the field playing ball.
Vanessa Hudgens Is Expecting a Baby
After an almost decade-long relationship that ended without a proposal, it only took two years of dating for Cole Tucker to ask Hudgens to be his wife. They happily shared the news with fans via social media in February 2023 before getting hitched in Tulum in December. The ceremony was private and took place at the Azulik City of Arts, and the newlyweds have obviously been busy in the months since, as the 33-year-old is pregnant with their first child.
She revealed the exciting news on the Oscars red carpet, showing off the silhouette of her budding bump in a sleek black dress. The Spring Breakers starlet’s exact due date remains unknown, but with such great genes from both parents, Baby Tucker is sure to be one of the cutest celebrity newborns of the year.