Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker’s Relationship Timeline

After Vanessa Hudgens’ nine-year relationship with Austin Butler ended in 2020, the High School Musical alum decided to give dating apps a try—although reluctantly and briefly. Instead of finding love online, the actress actually met her eventual husband, professional baseball player Cole Tucker, in an unlikely place: on a weekly Zoom meditation during the lockdown. With her eyes set on Tucker, Hudgens proudly made the first move (she DM'd him on Instagram), and the rest was history.

Ever since Hudgens slid into Tucker’s DMs, their romance has been filled with loving tributes, thoughtful gestures, couple getaways, and holiday celebrations, which Hudgens commonly documents on Instagram. Outside of their personal lives, Hudgens and Tucker are often seen supporting one another’s careers. While Hudgens makes frequent appearances at Tucker’s MLB games, Tucker shows up with Hudgens at movie premieres for her acting gigs. 

From their happenstance meeting to their Tulum wedding, here’s a complete timeline of their relationship.

• Hudgens and Tucker met on a Zoom meditation in 2020.
• The duo was first seen in public together in November 2020.
• The couple announced their engagement on February 9, 2023.
• On December 2, 2023, Hudgens and Tucker got married in Tulum, Mexico.

November 2020: A Rumored Relationship

Hudgens and Tucker made their first public debut in November 2020. The two were spotted holding hands and embracing one another while enjoying dinner at the Canyon Country Store in Los Angeles, which sparked speculation about a potential romance between them.

February 14, 2021: Instagram Official

On Valentine’s Day a few months later, the couple seemingly confirmed their relationship on Instagram. The Princess Switch star uploaded a cute snap of herself and the athlete sharing a peck. “It's you, it's me, it's us,” she captioned her post. She even tagged Tucker’s Instagram handle.

February 26, 2021: A Telling Interview

In an MLB spring training interview for CBS News radio station KDKA, Tucker acknowledged his relationship with Hudgens for the first time—and mentioned that he loves her. “I got a girlfriend, and she’s cool,” he said. “She’s awesome. I love her. But I don’t want it to be, ‘Oh, Cole’s dating Vanessa.’ I don’t want it to be treated any differently than Mitch [Keller] having his wife down or Ke’Bryan [Hayes] having his girlfriend come down. She’s great. She’ll be around. You will see her, but you saw the headline—it is what it is.”

March 23, 2021: A Supportive Girlfriend

Just like the baseball player promised in the aforementioned interview, Hudgens made an appearance at Tucker’s spring training in Florida. She posted a selfie with a friend from the stands. “Do you like sports?” she asked. “Cause we do.”

April 20, 2021: How They Really Met

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Second Act actress revealed that she and Tucker actually met on a Zoom meditation during the pandemic. “He’s just kind of perfect for me,” she shared. “I am [happy]. I really am. 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.” 

May 7, 2021: More Details About Their First Meeting

During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Hudgens recounted in greater detail the first time she met Tucker. After host Drew Barrymore asked Hudgens how she managed to find love during the quarantine, Hudgens explained that one of her friends introduced her to a weekly Zoom meditation group, and in their group chat, everyone was sending Bitmojis. When Tucker sent one of himself in uniform, sliding onto a base, Hudgens thought it was a joke, so she texted, “Hot.” “And then, I get on the Zoom, and I’m like, ‘Who is that?’” she recapped. 

After the meditation, Hudgens went out of her way to introduce herself to Tucker. “I mean, I’m such a go-getter,” she revealed. “If I want something or someone, I just go after ‘em. I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’ So I think there’s no shame in making the first move.”

July 11, 2021: Doing Long-Distance

Since Tucker’s career as a professional baseball player requires traveling, Hudgens and Tucker tried their hand at long-distance. On July 11, 2021, Hudgens headed to New York City to watch Tucker’s team play the New York Mets. That night, she posted a photo of herself and her boyfriend sitting on the steps, surrounded by flowers. “All I need,” she wrote as her caption. 

November 8, 2021: A Couple Getaway

Hudgens and Tucker vacationed at the Hodges Bay Resort & Spa in Antigua together. On November 8, 2021, the actress posted a series of sunset photos from their getaway. “Just magic ✨,” she shared. 

November 10, 2021: Their Red Carpet Debut

A few days after their Caribbean escape, the couple made their red carpet debut at the premiere of Hudgens’ Tick Tick…BOOM! in Los Angeles. While taking photos on the red carpet, the duo couldn’t stop beaming at one another.

December 29, 2021: One Year Together

Although the pair never disclosed exactly when they first started dating, Hudgens posted about their first anniversary together on December 29, 2021, which means they became a couple at the end of 2020. “1 year down @cotuck ❤️love👏🏽you👏🏽🤟🏽,” she wrote. Tucker commented, “The best 🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽.”

April 7, 2022: Another Season

At the start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, Hudgens marked the occasion on Instagram. “Happy opening day my 👑,” she wrote alongside a series of couple shots.

July 3, 2022: Birthday Wishes

To celebrate Tucker’s birthday, Hudgens uploaded a carousel of images taken at various points throughout their relationship, plus a heartfelt message—with a reference to “Your Song” by Elton John. “Who’s a big birthday boy?!” she asked. “@cotuck is 😍🥳🥰 I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words… how about wonderful life is now your in the world. DAMNIT 😉🤟🏽🥂💋 Happy birthday baby ♥️.”

October 31, 2022: Halloween Festivities

A few months later, the couple commemorated another holiday, Halloween—which happens to be one of Hudgens’ favorites. Their joint Instagram post included a photo of the Beastly actress covered in blue body paint and dressed in red, while the baseball star rocked black and white face paint, a graphic T-shirt, and a leather jacket. “Happy Halloween from Sting and Miss Argentina 🎃,” they said.

December 29, 2022: Spending Christmas Together

The joint holiday festivities continued for the pair during Christmas. To get in the spirit, Hudgens shared a snap that showcased a decorated Christmas tree in the background and Tucker dressed like Buddy from Elf. “Merry af,” she concluded.

February 9, 2023: Engagement News

Hudgens and Tucker announced their engagement on February 9, 2023. “YES. We couldn’t be happier 🤍,” the couple typed in a joint Instagram post. In the first photo, the duo is pictured wearing all black and embracing one another in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, while the second image shows a close-up of the ring: a beautiful emerald-cut diamond.

March 2023: A Fan From the Start

A month after Hudgens and Tucker shared their engagement news, fans did some digging and discovered that the professional athlete was a fan of High School Musical. A decade earlier, he tweeted, “In search of: A girl who's down to watch High School Musical with me and scratch my back.” Fans concluded that the couple was simply fated to be together. 

May 8, 2023: A Wedding Update

On The Drew Barrymore Show on May 8, 2023, Hudgens revealed that she had started planning her wedding but was having difficulty finding the perfect spot to throw down. “Finding a venue is tough,” she admitted. The actress also shared that she was considering alternate options. “I kind of just want to elope,” she mentioned. Meanwhile, Tucker didn’t have any specific vision for their big day. “I mean, he just wants to get married to me,” Hudgens said. “He’s like, ‘Whatever you want, babe.’”

November 2, 2023: A Future Name Change

Hudgens shared on Today With Hoda & Jenna that she’s most likely going to take Tucker’s last name after getting married. “Professionally, it’s obviously going to stay the same, but yeah, Mrs. T!” she exclaimed.

December 2, 2023: Just Married

Hudgens and Tucker were pronounced husband and wife on December 2, 2023, in Tulum, Mexico. The bride sported a silk Vera Wang wedding dress with a cowl neck, and she paired her ensemble with a veil engraved with her new last name and wedding date. Jay Shetty officiated the ceremony, which included personalized vows. Hudgens’ High School Musical co-stars Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel also attended the affair.

March 10, 2024: Pregnancy Reveal

At the 2024 Oscars, Hudgens revealed that she’s expecting her first child with Tucker. The actress graced the red carpet in a long-sleeved, figure-hugging black dress that exposed her baby bump, and she beamed and cradled her stomach as she posed for photographs. After the event, Hudgens uploaded a few of the pictures that highlighted her pregnant belly, captioning the post, “Oscar’s 2024! One for the books 😝🥳🥰.”