Who Is Vanessa Hudgens' Husband? All About Pro Baseball Player Cole Tucker

The 'High School Musical' star and the baseball pro got married in December 2023. They are currently expecting their first child

Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker are having a baby!

In March 2024, on the red carpet at the Oscars, Hudgens debuted her baby bump. This came shortly after she and Tucker tied the knot in Tulum, Mexico, on Dec. 2, 2023.

The pair were first romantically linked in November 2020 when they were spotted embracing during a dinner date at the Canyon Country Store in Los Angeles.

“After our first weekend together, I called my sister [Stella], and I was like, ‘I think I just found my future husband,' " she shared during an appearance on Hoda & Jenna in April 2023.

Related: Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker's Relationship Timeline

Hudgens and Tucker made their relationship Instagram official on Valentine’s Day 2021, and later that year, made their debut red carpet appearance at the Tick, Tick … Boom! premiere.

"He's just kind of perfect for me," she told Entertainment Tonight in April 2021. "I am [happy]. I really am. I think that it's also so important to stay grateful for everything that you have in life. I've been making that a priority, and I feel like it's just been making magic happen all the more."

So, who is Vanessa Hudgens’ husband? Here's everything to know about Cole Tucker and his relationship with the former Disney star.

He’s from Arizona

Tucker was born and raised in Phoenix. He attended Mountain Pointe High School where he played on the baseball team and represented Team USA in the 18U Baseball World Cup as a senior.

“He just had that 'it' factor with that confidence, self-belief in who he was. No one was going to deny him the opportunity. He would find a way to get it done,” his former high school coach Brandon Buck told AZ Central.

He met Hudgens over Zoom

Hudgens and Tucker first met in a Zoom meditation group during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I get on the Zoom, and I'm like, 'Who is that?' " she said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Following their initial encounter, Hudgens shared that she was the one to reach out to the professional athlete.

"I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, 'Hey, it was nice to meet you.' So I think there is no shame in making the first move,” she said, adding, “Why wait for someone else to give you what you want?"

He and Hudgens announced their engagement in 2023

Roughly two years after the couple started dating, Tucker popped the question to Hudgens in Paris. The actress announced the news on Instagram in February 2023.

"YES. We couldn't be happier," she captioned photos of the two hugging and a closer look at the engagement ring.

"I love it. I get distracted by it all the time," she told PEOPLE in March 2023.

She also revealed that she was knee-deep in wedding planning and already overwhelmed. "It's a big daunting thing — so much goes into it," Hudgens said. "Like Gwen Stefani said, this s--- is bananas."

He is a professional baseball player

Tucker was drafted in the first round by Major League Baseball in 2014. He was the 24th overall pick and joined the roster for the Pittsburgh Pirates as a shortstop from 2014 to 2022. Following his tenure with the Pirates, he quickly joined his home team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, that same year.

"I feel like I experienced so many emotions with the Pirates," Tucker told AZ Central in June 2022. "I was a 17-year-old high school senior and I got drafted by them, and I got to the big leagues with them, and I had success with them. So many great people there, I'm really humbled for all of it, appreciative of all of it.”

As for his next move, he told the outlet he was “excited to make the most of this opportunity, and excited to be close to the home."

Tucker didn’t end up playing in the majors for the Diamondbacks partially due to injuries, and in late 2022, he signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies. In October 2023, he elected to become a free agent.

Hudgens is his biggest cheerleader

The Dog Days actress has been known to support Tucker at his games, including early in their relationship when he was playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In August 2023, Hudgens was spotted in the stands for Tucker’s first game with the Colorado Rockies and cheered him on when he hit a double during his first at-bat.

"I’ve gone to a lot of games, way more than I have in my entire life condensed into a year,” Hudgens told Entertainment Tonight in November 2021. “I love going and supporting and cheering him on.”

His brother is also a baseball player

Tucker isn’t the only sibling in his household to play professional baseball: his younger brother, Carson Tucker, was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in 2020. He was the 23rd overall pick as a shortstop — an event Tucker predicted years before.

"Late night sesh with @DookieTucker29 . Kid never stops working. Little man's gonna go first round," he tweeted in 2013 alongside a photo of Carson in a batting cage.

Ahead of his brother's draft, Tucker opened up about how he was passing on his professional experience.

“Carson Tucker’s my favorite player, and I’m rooting for him and pulling for him and following his every move,” he told MLB.com in June 2020. “I’m just trying to be as much a part of the process as I can and putting my big-brother hat on and also putting my baseball-player hat on."

Carson now plays for the Lynchburg Hillcats, the Single-A affiliate of the Guardians.

Athleticism runs deep in their family as their mom, Erin Tucker, ran track and played volleyball at the University of Arizona while their dad, Jackie Tucker, played minor league baseball, according to The Athletic.

He was a High School Musical fan long before he met Hudgens

Tucker has been a Wildcats fan for over a decade as evidenced by a 2012 tweet. The then-teenager wrote, "In search of: A girl who's down to watch High School Musical with me and scratch my back."

He even grew his hair out to be like Corbin Bleu's character, Chad Danforth, who was a baseball player in the musical series.

“When I was in fourth grade, I was like, ‘Man, I am going to grow out my hair. I’m going to look like Corbin Bleu and it’s going to be the coolest thing ever,' " he told The Athletic in March 2020. "I did it and I’m still doing it. I sound like such a nerd right now, but that’s really what happened. It kind of became my thing.”

He helped launch the You Can! Foundation

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucker joined his friends and MLB players Cody Bellinger and Jamie Westbrook to create the You Can! Foundation — a program designed to raise money and awareness for mental health and well-being for underprivileged youth.

“[We] were just talking and thinking, ‘Hey, we have this platform, and we have these ideas of what would be cool to help in our backyard and all over the country with things that we care about,’ ” Tucker told MLB.com in September 2021.

“I also think it’s something that pertains to everybody, no matter who you are or what you do," he added.

His hobbies include playing music and golfing

In Tucker’s free time, he plays the drums and guitar, often posting photos of his music sessions on Instagram.

While Hudgens doesn’t typically join his sessions, the two have performed together. The duo took to the stage for karaoke night while out with friends, singing Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule’s 2001 hit, “I’m Real.”

Tucker also enjoys practicing his swing on the golf course and shares snaps of his outings online.

He and Hudgens wed in December 2023

Tucker and Hudgens exchanged vows in Tulum, Mexico, on Dec. 2, 2023. Their very private nuptials took place at the Azulik City of Arts.

"I couldn’t have dreamt it to be any better. I knew it was going to be magical, but it exceeded my expectations," Hudgens told Vogue.

He and Hudgens are expecting their first child

Hudgens and Tucker are going to be parents. At the Oscars in March 2024, the actress, who was all smiles, surprised fans when she debuted her baby bump on the red carpet.

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