Austin Butler exchanges numbers with Sharon Stone outside party

Austin Butler exchanges numbers with Sharon Stone outside the Vanity Fair party… moments before ex Vanessa Hudgens avoids him

Austin Butler was seen chatting with Sharon Stone following the Vanity Fair post Oscars party on Sunday night in Hollywood.

The 31-year-old Elvis star, who is in a relationship with 21-year-old Kaia Gerber, was spotted exchanging numbers with the 65-year-old stunning acting legend.

Austin had Sharon’s cell phone in his hand as he appeared to put his number in it as she looked on.

Kaia, who walked the red carpet with Austin for the Vanity Fair party, was nowhere in sight.

Austin and Sharon’s outdoor conversation and number exchange was also around the time when his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens narrowly avoided an awkward encounter.

Close: Austin Butler was seen chatting with Sharon Stone following Vanity Fair post Oscars party on Sunday night in Hollywood

Pals: The 31-year-old Elvis star, who is in a relationship with 21-year-old Kaia Gerber, was spotted exchanging numbers with the 65-year-old stunning acting legend

Vanessa was seen briefly looking at Austin before looking at her phone and avoiding any eye contact with him as she walked in front of him to a waiting car.

Austin, who was standing next to Sharon, saw Vanessa and watched her walk by before waving to fans and putting his hand on his heart.

Austin’s girlfriend Kaia, who turned 21 in September, was seen minutes later heading outside with her friend.

Austin and Vanessa dated for almost nine years – from September 2011 until January 2020.

At the time, a source told People: ‘They really loved each other and have been through some of their toughest life moments together. Busy work schedules and travel definitely put a strain on the relationship. They were a wonderful couple and it’s really sad that it didn’t work out.’

During their relationship, Vanessa had supported Austin and his career, revealing in an interview in 2019 on Live With Kelly and Ryan that she gave him the idea to play Elvis and encouraged him to pursue a role with him as Elvis.

She told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest the story on how it happened while they were on the way to see Christmas lights and an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on.

‘Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on.’

Pals: Austin had Sharon’s cell phone in his hand as he appeared to put his number in it as she looked on

Avoiding eye contact: Austin and Sharon’s outdoor conversation and number exchange was also around the time when his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens narrowly avoided an awkward encounter

Not talking: Vanessa was seen briefly looking at Austin before looking at her phone and avoiding any eye contact with him as she walked in front of him to a waiting car

They way it is now: Austin, who was standing next to Sharon, saw Vanessa and watched her walk by before waving to fans and putting his hand on his heart

Left behind: Austin’s girlfriend Kaia, who turned 21 in September, was seen minutes later heading outside with her friend

‘He had just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural blonde, and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, “Babe, you need to play Elvis.’

After hearing him play the piano, Vanessa once again insisted he find a way to audition for an Elvis role.

‘Then in January, he was sitting at the piano. And he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, “I don’t know how, but you need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know who we get the rights or what we do, but you need to play him.’ 

Austin raised eyebrows when he re-told the story but omitted out Vanessa’s name – and said it was a ‘friend’ who told him he should play Elvis – seemingly trying not to give her any credit.

In January 2023, Austin said during The Hollywood Reporter’s Actors Roundtable: ‘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.”‘

Adding: ‘A couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano. I never really sang for any of my friends or anything. That same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, “I’m serious. You gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script.” Then my agent called and said, “So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film.”‘

Austin went on to play Elvis in the Baz Luhrmann project of the same name, earning praise and nominations – even winning a Golden Globe.

Austin once again raised eyebrows when he continued to use Elvis’ Tennessee drawl in interviews, despite being born and raised in Anaheim, California.

Weeks after he called Vanessa the ‘friend’ who encouraged him to play Elvis, an Instagram user posted a screenshot of an article about Austin’s strange accent and his voice coach claiming it was genuine and might stay forever.

She commented ‘crying’ in the hilarious moment. 

However, Austin finally gave Vanessa credit for her role in him becoming Elvis  and first suggesting he play him during an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

The reporter asked him about the ‘friend,’ and he clarified that it was Vanessa – although he did not name her.

The LA Times reporter said about that friend, to which he said ‘I was with my partner at the time.’

The reporter pushed on and said it that it must have been Vanessa Hudgens who encouraged him. 

Current: Austin went on to date Kaia Gerber, a model and the daughter of supermodel legend Cindy Crawford; seen at the Vanity Fair party on Sunday. He did not take her as his Oscar date

Cute: Vanessa is engaged to baseball star Cole Tucker; he popped the question in late 2022 after they first went public with their romance in February 2021

The way they were: Austin and Vanessa dated for almost nine years – from September 2011 until January 2020; seen together March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood

Austin answered: ‘That’s right. We’d been together for so long and she had this sort of clairvoyant moment and so I really, I owe her a lot for believing in me.’

Austin went on to date Kaia Gerber, a model and the daughter of supermodel legend Cindy Crawford.

Austin and Kaia, who is ten years younger than the star, were first linked in December 2021.

Vanessa is engaged to baseball star Cole Tucker; he popped the question in late 2022 after they first went public with their romance in February 2021.

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