Here Is a Much-Needed Update on Zac Efron’s Love Life (2024)

Zac Efron is one of Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs. He made viewers swoon in 2006 with the premiere of High School Musical and continued to serve celebrity crush inspo with The Greatest Showman and Baywatch. The actor made a name with his fans on-screen, and kept the same energy off-screen in several larger-than-life, high-profile relationships. We of course all remember his romance with his HSM costar Vanessa Hudgens in the early aughts (Troy and Gabriella forever), but after their split, Zac had some low-key love stories that mostly flew under the radar.

Zac was last linked to Australian model Vanessa Valladares, but the pair reportedly split in April 2021. Curious about the status of the actor’s dating life now? Read ahead for everything we know about Zac Efron’s love life, plus a complete timeline of his dating history.

So, is Zac Efron currently dating anyone?

Nope, Zac is currently single. During an interview with Men’s Health in October 2022, the actor revealed that although he’s taken some time away from the dating scene, he’s optimistic about finding true love again.

“I’ve really been taking time to focus on, you know, self-fulfillment and trying to find my groove,” he said. “I know that probably when I meet the right person, it’s going to be when I least expect it.”

Vanessa Hudgens (2005-2010)

ICYMI: Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens dated for five years back in the early 2000s. The two met on the set of High School Musical in 2005 when they were just teenagers. But in December 2010, the couple ended things. Years later, in 2017, Vanessa told Access Hollywood Live that they’ve “completely lost contact.” However (!) in April 2023, Zac unexpectedly followed Vanessa on Instagram.

Even though we don’t know exactly what Zac’s follow means, it seems to affirm that there are no hard feelings between the exes. In a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter Awards Chatter Podcast, Vanessa explained how grateful she was to have dated Zac when she did, saying that the relationship helped her deal with her sudden rise to stardom.

“We kinda blew up. It was this massive phenomenon all of a sudden, and all eyes were on me,” she recalled. “And it’s just a really weird foreign thing to go through, and by being in a relationship, I feel like it kind of kept me stabilized and grounded, and I had someone to lean on who was going through it as well.”

Both Vanessa and Zac have moved on, but at least we can rewatch HSM movies to relive those swoon-worthy Troy and Gabriella days.

Lily Collins (2012-2013)

Although the duo never officially confirmed their relationship, Lily and Zac dated on and off between 2012 and 2013. They were spotted holding hands at Disneyland in October 2013, according to People, and even spent Valentine’s Day together in 2012.

Their relationship eventually fizzled. But in 2019, they hung out together while promoting their film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, in which Zac plays infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. The undeniable rapport between the two actors could be based on more than their on-screen time together.

Halston Sage (2014)

Zac was believed to be dating his Neighbors costar Halston Sage in 2014. In April of that year, an anonymous insider told E! News that the two are “definitely an item” and “he’s really good to her.” In an interview with Access Hollywood, Zac gushed about Halston, calling her a “sweetheart,” although, he didn’t confirm the status of their relationship. But the two were photographed sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game together, where they exchanged lots of laughs.

Halston and Zac reportedly split in July 2014, but six years later, in January 2020, they rekindled their flame. Us Weekly reported that after Zac split from Olympic swimmer Sarah Bro, he and Halston started seeing each other again. A source told the outlet that Zac and Halston “are in a serious relationship and in love,” then added, “They spent the holidays together, with part of that time in Santa Barbara.” But the two eventually parted ways.

Michelle Rodriguez (2014)

After splitting from Halston Sage, Zac was rumored to be dating The Fast and the Furious actress Michelle Rodriguez. In July 2014, the two were spotted locking lips and cuddling up on a yacht in Sardinia, Italy, according to photos published by the Daily Mail. They were again photographed together in Ibiza, Spain, in August of that year, per Entertainment Tonight. But a couple weeks later, it was reported by E! News that their summer romance had come to an end.

Sami Miró (2014-2016)

Zac started dating model Sami Miró in 2014. The two were absolutely adorable together, and Sami shared bits and pieces of their relationship on social media.

The two broke up in 2016 after about two years of dating. Zac deleted all of his pics with Sami off his Instagram and even unfollowed her, leaving many to think the relationship didn’t end on the best terms.

Alexandra Daddario (2017)

Another movie, another romance. Zac was suspected to be dating his Baywatch costar, Alexandra Daddario, back in 2017. They were super flirty together in interviews promoting the movie, and they posted adorable pics of each other on social media — but their relationship was never confirmed.

Sarah Bro (2019)

Rumors that Sarah and Zac were dating circulated after the two were spotted at a UFC fight in Las Vegas together, where they sat ringside. According to a source from E! News, the two arrived at the fight together and “looked like they were having a great time.” While they were seen “smiling and laughing in their seats,” they were “not overly publicly affectionate,” though the two did leave the event together.

The night before the UFC match, both Zac and Sarah posted Instagrams from a Los Angeles Kings hockey game. Many online reports claimed they attended the event together.

Sarah is originally from Denmark and competed in the 4X100 freestyle relay for her home country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Vanessa Valladares (2020-2021)

Zac and Vanessa initially sparked romance rumors in the summer of 2020, after they were spotted together in Byron Bay, Australia, where they met at a café. Things between the new couple moved very quickly, and it was rumored that the pair was looking to buy a house together, according to the Daily Mail. But in November 2020, Zac and Vanessa reportedly split due to distance issues. The actor had to leave Byron Bay to film a new movie, and their summer fling fizzled out.

Despite rumors of their split, the pair eventually got back together. In January 2021, they were spotted again, this time walking hand-in-hand in Sydney, Australia.

The renewed relationship got serious pretty quickly. Zac’s friend, Kyle Sandilands, spoke about the actor’s relationship on an October 2020 episode of his radio show, The Kyle and Jackie O Show. “He’s in love with this girl, Vanessa,” Kyle said. “They’re lovely... beautiful couple. They do everything together... they’re just really sweet. They seem really settled and nice.”

Things were going so well that, according to the Daily Mail, Zac was reportedly considering taking Vanessa with him to Canada in May 2021 to film a new project. Unfortunately, though, the pair allegedly called it quits in April 2021 after about ten months of dating, Page Six reported.