Austin Butler made a rare public comment about his girlfriend of two years, Kaia Gerber, at the Feb. 2024 premiere of "Dune: Part Two." Speaking about her place among 40 iconic women on the March cover of British Vogue, he gushed, "It was legendary."
The Oscar-nominated "Elvis" and "Masters of the Air" actor is famously tight-lipped about his romance with Kaia Gerber, the model-actress daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. Delivering high praise about her to Entertainment Tonight would have been unheard-of a year ago, when the couple's 10-year age gap came in for sharp criticism. Butler is 32, while Gerber is 22.
Their commitment to privacy is at least partly a lesson learned from Butler and Gerber's past high-profile relationships. Butler dated Vanessa Hudgens for nearly a decade, between 2011 and 2020. The pair reportedly called it quits during filming on "Elvis" — a role which Hudgens famously suggested he play before Baz Luhrmann put The King's life story onscreen.
For her part, Kaia Gerber dated "SNL" alum Pete Davidson from Oct. 2019 to Jan. 2020. She moved on in Sept. 2020 with "Saltburn" star Jacob Elordi. The pair called it quits in Nov. 2021 and, weeks later, Gerber was linked to Butler.
Beyond their glamorous, loved-up red carpet appearances (we're still not over that Met Gala PDA), Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber are reportedly a "down to earth" couple heading into their third year together feeling "secure." Read on for a rundown of their love story and the backlash they've faced, plus some insight into Butler's sweet (and adorably goofy) bond with Gerber's famous parents.
When Did Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber Start Dating?
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Rumors of Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber's romance began swirling in Dec. 2021, when the pair were spotted at a yoga class together. Later that month, Butler watched Gerber walk the runway at a Celine fashion show in L.A. and posed for photos (above) with her parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, and her brother, Presley Gerber.
A source confirmed to Us Weekly at the time, "They are low-key dating. It's still very new."
Their Red Carpet Debut at the 2022 Met Gala
Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
It wasn't until the May 2022 Met Gala that Butler and Gerber made their red carpet debut as a couple (above). She glistened in a silver metallic gown by Alexander McQueen, and he looked every bit the leading man in a silky Prada number.
Days later, Gerber accompanied Butler to the Cannes premiere of "Elvis." They were photographed sharing a sweet smooch on the Croisette, cementing their status as Hollywood's newest It-couple.
Fan Backlash Over Their 10-Year Age Gap
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The couple's 10-year age gap became social media fodder in Aug. 2022, when a 2007 photo of Gerber meeting Butler's former flame, Vanessa Hudgens, resurfaced. The image (above) was taken at the world premiere of "High School Musical 2" and shows Hudgens, then 19, bending down to shake a 5-year-old Gerber's hand.
At the time, Hudgens was dating her "HSM" co-star Zac Efron. Kaia Gerber is currently three years older than Hudgens was in that 2007 photo.
They Celebrated His Golden Globe Win for 'Elvis' Together
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Butler took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor at the Jan. 2023 ceremony, with a video of Gerber kissing him backstage after the win appearing online.
That March, Butler walked the Oscars red carpet solo, ultimately losing out on Best Actor to Brendan Fraser ("The Whale"). But Gerber was right by his side, beaming for the cameras and holding his hand, at Vanity Fair's star-studded afterparty (above).
Austin Butler Is 'Part of' Kaia Gerber's Family
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Casamigos
When they're not strolling through farmer's markets in L.A. or getting dressed up for movie premieres, Butler and Gerber spend their downtime traveling to tropical locales. A favorite vacation spot is Los Cabos, Mexico, where the couple has been photographed lounging by pools, reading in the sun and leaning in for some off-duty PDA.
Mexico has also served as Butler's entrée to Gerber's family. The couple spent Christmas 2023 in Cabo San Lucas with Gerber's parents and brother. A source told Us Weekly that the "Masters of the Air" actor gets along with them swimmingly:
"Kaia loves that her family gets along so well with Austin. He's joined them on several vacations and he's definitely a part of the family," the outlet reported.
Butler was also pictured alongside the Gerber clan at the 2023 Casamigos Halloween Party in L.A. (above). He put on a silvery-blonde wig for his Andy Warhol costume, while Kaia dressed as fellow 1960s icon Edie Sedgwick.
"They spend as much time together as they can," the outlet reported. "Although Austin and Kaia are both in the public eye, they're really down to earth and have a very secure relationship, so they never let jealousy or anything like that get in the way."
As for the couple's two-year relationship milestone? The source added that Kaia "can't believe" they've been together so long, and that their time has "flown by." If you ask us, sounds like a great sign.
