Vanessa Hudgens, Austin Butler call it quits after nearly 9 years of dating

After almost nine years of dating, American actors Vanessa Hudgens and Austin Butler have called it quits.

According to an insider to Us Weekly, "Vanessa and Austin have officially broken up, and Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup."

The former couple began dating in September 2011, and they sparked speculations of break up after Butler and Hudgens didn't spend holidays together.

The 'Knight Before Christmas' star posted photos of herself flying solo on December 31, dressed in a princess-inspired black gown and tiara. Earlier, Hudgens documented a winter getaway, but Butler didn't appear in any of her photos.

On December 13, the 31-year-old actor celebrated her birthday on the sets of Netflix's ' The Princess Switch: Switched Again', where her younger sister Stella Hudgens, surprised her. A few hours later, Hudgens posted a video of the duo dancing, but Butler was noticeably absent from the festivities.

In October, the 'Spring Breakers' star shared a photo of Butler on Instagram where she posted a picture of the twosome dressed in Gothic costumes alongside the former couple's dog and captioned it as, "Happy Halloween from my family to yours."

Meanwhile, the 'Dude' star hasn't posted a picture with Hudgens since July, when he shared a snapshot of the duo on Instagram at the movie premiere for his film 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.'

Also, in November 2018, Hudgens revealed to Women's Health that although she and Butler had been together for a while, she wasn't in any rush to walk down the aisle.

At that time she explained, "I want to get married, travel, then have kids - probably in my late 30s, Everyone's clock is different."

The star also revealed that Butler inspired her more than anyone, which helped their relationship flourish. "We respect, trust and admire each other," she said. "It's so solid now because I feel strong as an independent woman. I am very self-reliant, but it's nice to have a best friend you can share victories with as well as losses."

Hudgens had dated her 'High School Musical' co-star Zac Efron from 2005 to 2010, before dating Austin Butler.