Vanessa Hudgens Casually Ignoring Her Ex at the Oscars is So Relatable
Critics who condemn Vanessa Hudgens for blanking Austin Butler have evidently never experienced a similar predicament.
This year's Oscars have offered a wealth of conversation topics. As expected, one of the most talked-about incidents revolved around a relationship drama, specifically the uncomfortable interaction between Vanessa Hudgens, this year's red-carpet host, and Austin Butler, who was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the film Elvis.
As many fans know, the two actors were romantically involved for over eight years. They went public with their relationship in 2011 and ended it in 2020, much to the dismay of numerous fans who believed the couple to be a perfect match.
Hudgens is now engaged to professional baseball shortstop and outfielder Cole Tucker, while Butler is in a relationship with model and actress Kaia Gerber. However, based on the showdown between them at the Oscars, they may not yet be completely over each other.
The two exes crossed paths at the afterparty for the Academy awards. As Butler, who had lost the Oscar to Brendan Fraser, posed for photos alongside Sharon Stone, Hudgens walked by him with her head lowered and her eyes fixed on her phone, seemingly taking no notice of her former flame who caught sight of her as she was moving away from him.
Although this apparently deliberate act resulted in some backlash from social media users who deemed it cold and impolite, most commenters empathised with her, finding the situation all too relatable.
Irrespective of their celebrity status, Austin and Vanessa have navigated a long relationship and likely endured a difficult breakup, so it's only natural for Hudgens to want to steer clear of her ex.
"Celebs are just like normal people - I would avoid my ex like the plague, too," a Redditor remarked, wholeheartedly defending Vanessa's actions.
Other commenters in the thread concurred with this perspective and shared personal anecdotes where they employed Hudgens' time-tested phone tactic to avoid former partners. All it takes to evade an ex is to feign a call or pretend to be perusing a chat. Even if Vanessa was merely typing nonsense into a notes app to sidestep an awkward exchange with Austin, the Redditors totally understand.