In the spotlight for his role in the highly anticipated Dune: Part Two, Austin Butler recently sat down with Esquire magazine to discuss his career, life, and the controversial use of the term “friend” when referring to his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens.
The 32-year-old actor, who dated Vanessa Hudgens for nine years before their 2020 split, addressed the viral moment during his press cycle for Elvis when he recounted a story about a “friend” encouraging him to play the role of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic.
In a 2023 interview with THR, Austin shared the backstory: “People always ask me, ‘Had you for years thought you looked like Elvis?’ And I’d say, ‘I don’t really think I look that much like Elvis.’ That never crossed my mind. But 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.’”
While the Internet quickly deduced that Vanessa was the “friend” in question, Austin faced backlash as fans felt he minimized her role in the story. The controversy lingered until his recent interview with Esquire.
Addressing the moment, Austin expressed, “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. I have so much love and care for her. It was in no way trying to erase anything.” Regarding his answer, he added, “I value my own privacy so much. I didn’t want to give up anybody else’s privacy.”
This clarification sheds light on Austin’s intention to handle the situation delicately, demonstrating his respect for Vanessa’s privacy and avoiding unnecessary public scrutiny.
The conversation with Esquire also touched upon Austin’s current relationship with Kaia Gerber, and in true Austin fashion, he opted to keep it succinct, stating, “I’m happy.” This succinct response aligns with his desire to maintain a level of privacy around his personal life.
When asked about the public’s fascination with his romantic life, Austin revealed, “Yeah, because I want to know about other people. I want to know about Daniel Day-Lewis’s life.”
