All About Vanessa Valladares, Zac Efron's 'Serious' Girlfriend He Dated for 10 Months
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Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares' whirlwind Australian romance may be finished, at least according to The Daily Telegraph and Page Six. The Telegraph broke the news of their split on April 20, and Page Six reached out to Efron's publicist. The rep declined to comment.
Valladares and Efron dated for 10 months. In April 2021, E! got rare detail on the two's relationship, with a source telling the outlet that Valladares “quit her job so she can have the flexibility to travel with him.”
Multiple outlets reported prior to E!'s report that Efron has been house searching in Australia, ready to permanently commit to the country. His relationship with Valladares was seemingly part of the reason the once-California-based actor hoped to make the big move.
Efron was first linked to the 25-year-old model in July 2020, although she was not described as his girlfriend initially. For what it's worth, Efron had kept his life in Australia private up until he was photographed in Byron Bay in July. People reported in January 2021 that the two have been "romantically linked" since June 2020.
In September 2020, they publicly confirmed their romance, holding hands in photos the Daily Mail ran of them during a Byron Bay outing. The gesture came shortly after the couple was spotted enjoying a ski vacation together in Thredbo, as obtained by the Herald Sun.
Ahead, here's what we know about Valladares, what her “serious” relationship with Efron was like, and the 33rd birthday party she planned for him.
Efron and Valladares dated for 10 months before their split was reported, but this isn't the first breakup report to emerge.
Efron and Valladares have kept their romance private, never commenting on it themselves. But on April 20, 2021, The Daily Telegraph and Page Six reported that Valladares and Efron ended their 10-month relationship. They were last photographed together at the end of March. Efron's rep declined to comment and confirm or deny the report.
But a false breakup report circulated in November 2020. The Sun reported then that the couple ended things after five months of dating. Its source claimed, "Once he decided to stay in Australia long term, he suggested they buy their first home. They'd started to look at a few places but, sadly, fate wasn't on their side. Zac's work and the enforced distance has really taken its toll. Friends hope they can reunite, but it seems their relationship was more like a holiday romance than they cared to admit.”
One week later, Efron and Valladares were photographed out together, publicly confirming they were still dating, and The Sun's reporting was false. The two have not commented on the new April 2021 breakup report yet.
She's a model and waitress.
As reported by People and the Daily Mail, Efron met Valladares while she was waiting tables at Byron Bay's General Store café. Back in June, locals saw Efron hanging out at at café—a sign that the two knew each other for months before they were photographed in September holding hands.
The Daily Mail claimed in September that Valladares has quit her job at the restaurant and is an "aspiring model." A few professional shots from her career appear on her Instagram. Valladares appears to have modeled for Australian labels Love St and Spell.
She lived with Efron.
Things between Efron and Valladares moved fast. Three months after meeting in June, the Daily Mail reported Valladares had moved in with Efron at his Belongil Beach home, which he was renting. Their first outing as a couple was back in July, when photos showed the pair arriving from a ski trip at Ballina airport. In September, they were seen grabbing brunch at a beachside restaurant in Lennox Head, Australia. And they shared their first bit of PDA as they held hands outside of The Farm restaurant.
"Zac met Ness earlier in the summer. They started hanging out in July and recently took a ski trip together," a source told People of the new relationship in September. "You can tell that they are having fun. She spends a lot of time at this house."
Another source told People in October that Valladares moved in with Efron. "Their relationship is very serious," that source said. "Vanessa lives with Zac in Byron Bay."
Efron's last low-key relationship was with his Neighbors co-star Halston Sage. Us Weekly reported that the pair was an item at the start of 2020 after rumors of their romance first emerged in 2014. A source said at the time that they "are in a serious relationship and in love. They spent the holidays together, with part of that time in Santa Barbara." But it appears that relationship didn't make the move with Efron to Australia. Before Sage, he's been linked to Olympian Sarah Bro, actress Alexandra Daddario, and, of course, his High School Musical love interest Vanessa Hudgens.
By January 2021, Efron and Valladares' relationship remained serious and happy—but not yet marriage-bound.
People got an update from a source about how things are between the two. "They are not engaged but seem very happy," the source said, adding that Efron really wants to "make a life for himself" in Australia. "He keeps looking at properties," the source said.
In March 2021, Daily Mail reported that Efron is planning to bring Valladares to Canada with him as he films a new project.
In yet another sign of how serious Efron and Valladares' relationship has become, Daily Mail sparked rumors that Efron could be taking his girlfriend with him as he works in Canada this spring. A "well-placed source" told the outlet that Efron is due to shoot Firestarter, a film adaptation of the Stephen King novel, in May. The filming will reportedly be eight weeks long, according to Daily Mail, and Valladares and Efron will return to Australia after.
The news comes after Efron and Valladares were photographed together in Melbourne on March 22. Efron has been shooting season 2 of his Netflix show Down to Earth With Zac Efron in Australia.
She quit her job to travel with Efron.
E! ran a substantive update on the couple's relationship on April 1, 2021. A source close to Efron told the outlet that the two started dating last summer, and Valladares has really added a lot to Efron's life. Notably, the outlet's source revealed that Valladares quit her job to be closer to Efron.
As the source explained, “He's very happy being with Vanessa and living in Australia. It's changed his life for the better. They started dating in July and have been together since. They love to travel locally and are very adventurous. They love skiing, surfing and hanging out with both his and her friends. They spend a lot of time outdoors just chilling. She quit her job so she can have the flexibility to travel with him. They are on the same page with that and it's working out for them.”
She has a public Instagram—but isn't following Efron.
Valladares, who has about 90.4k Instagram followers, hasn't gone 'gram official with Efron. In fact, the pair isn't even following each other on the platform nor liking each other's posts. Valladares hasn't posted on her Instagram since July 30, 2020.
Efron, meanwhile, recently shared an Instagram of himself living in a caravan as he shoots his upcoming thriller Gold. "Home sweet home. Thanks, @lotus_caravans 🤙#setlife #goldmovie," he wrote on February 2. It was a very rare look at his life in Australia.
Her IG feed has a beachy, naturalistic aesthetic.
Efron's love of nature was exhibited in his recent Netflix docuseries, Down to Earth with Zac Efron. In the series, he explores different parts of the world in search of sustainable and eco-friendly ways of living. Valladares appears to have a similar naturalistic vibe. She frequently posts photos of the ocean, captures sunlit selfies, and writes captions like: "The river in the sky is aligning for the kings and queens 🌌."
A source told Us Weekly in September that "Vanessa loves to be active," adding, "She and Zac have that in common." The insider also said that Valladares' low-key lifestyle has been a positive influence on Efron. “Zac and Vanessa are really good for each other,” the source said. “She has calmed him down a lot, and he’s not partying too much.”
She loves to travel.
When Valladares isn't waiting tables or modeling, she seems to have a passion for traveling. On March 26, she wrote about a planned trip to Africa that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. "Packed preparing to leave to Africa. My flight was scheduled to take off today, now wake up to a rapidly changing reality... Embrace change. I choose to surrender and continue to be love, observing, growing and expanding. I’m limiting my phone use, gaining knowledge, empowering myself, remaining present. 🤲🏽 Let us lean into this chaotic creative place," she wrote alongside a photo of herself propped on a car.
In 2016, she made a getaway to Indonesia, as previewed on her Instagram.
She planned Efron's 33rd birthday party.
On October 18, Efron rang in his 33rd birthday, and Valladares reportedly planned the party. Per The Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph, the couple was photographed outside of the celebration. Guests included radio host Kyle Sandilands and girlfriend Tegan Kynaston, professional tennis player Pat Rafter, and Chris Hemsworth's dad, Craig.
Sandilands confirmed, via Daily Mail, that Valladares was the one to extend an invite. "Vanessa invited me. You couldn't get a lovelier, sweeter girl. She knew everything, and she put everything together. She's a sweetheart," he said. Sandilands later added about Efron, "He's in love with this girl, Vanessa. They're a beautiful couple. They do everything together. They're just sweet."
A source reiterated this account to People, confirming that the couple lives together. "Zac and Vanessa are very happy," the source said. "They celebrated Zac's birthday with friends before the weekend."
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