After sparking a connection — though friendship-oriented at the time — in 2005, Austin Butler and Vanessa Hudgens took their relationship to the next level in 2011. As noted by the Daily Mail, Hudgens had recently gotten out of her longtime romance with Zac Efron, and was clearly taken by her new man. The two were spotted in Burbank sharing a meal at Bob's Big Boy diner, appearing to be quite enamored with one another. How could they not be, honestly?
So how did these two cross paths again? As noted by People, mutual friends and group settings enabled the two actors to connect in a low-stakes environment, perfect for then-recently single Hudgens. "They were together but in a large group," a source dished at the time. "They were not doing anything to show that they were really together romantically but they were definitely hanging out and having fun."
Of the new flame, an insider revealed that Hudgens wasn't looking for anything serious, but rather was "having fun hooking up" with the young Butler. "It's a friends with benefits situation," the source said, according to the Daily Mail. Clearly, things progressed from there.
