Austin Butler had a date by his side at the 2023 Oscars, but it wasn’t his girlfriend Kaia Gerber.
On Sunday 12 March, the Elvis star arrived outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles where he was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of the iconic musician, Elvis Presley.
Butler walked the champagne-coloured carpet solo while wearing a black velvet, double-breasted tuxedo designed by Saint Laurent. He completed the suit with a white button-down shirt, a black bow tie, and shiny platform heeled shoes. "This is Saint Laurent," the 31-year-old actor told Laverne Cox on E! News Live From the Red Carpet. “I don’t know what story I’m telling – I just thought it was a beautiful tuxedo.”
Although Butler turned heads on Sunday, his 21-year-old model girlfriend Kaia Gerber was noticeably missing from the awards ceremony. Instead, the Carrie Diaries alum decided to bring his longtime agent, James Farrell, as his plus-one, according to W.
When asked by ABC red carpet correspondent Ashley Graham where his girlfriend was for the evening, Butler replied: “I’ve got my best friend here with me, who is also my agent. And I owe my career to him, so as a thank you, I wanted him to be by my side tonight."
Earlier this week, Butler told Access Hollywood that he’s worked with Farrell since he was 17 years old. “We were friends first, and I would not have my career without him. The amount of times that he’s helping me to decide on whether or not to do something or he’s pushed me to. He’s believed in me in moments where maybe I didn’t believe in myself.”
Throughout this year’s awards season, Butler has often brought those closest to him as his date to many Elvis-nominated award shows. Back in January, he invited his older sister Ashley Butler to the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, where he took home the prize for Best Actor. He also brought his Elvis movement coach, Polly Bennett, to the 2023 BAFTA awards last month.
Austin Butler and model Kaia Gerber – the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber – were first romantically linked in December 2021, before confirming their relationship at W Magazine’s Best Performances party in March 2022.
Two months later, the pair made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala. The model also supported her boyfriend at the Cannes Film Festival premiere for Elvis, where the two were spotted sharing a kiss on the red carpet.
Butler was previously in a relationship with High School Musical alum Vanessa Hudgens from 2011 to 2020. Meanwhile, Gerber has been romantically linked to comedian Pete Davidson and Euphoria star Jacob Elordi.
