Zac Efron Just Broke Up With His GF of 10 Months—Here’s Why Their Whirlwind Romance Is Over

After less than a year of dating, it looks like these two are through. But why did Zac Efron and Vanessa Valladares break up? Here’s what we know.

The Daily Telegraph was the first to report the news of their split on Monday, April 19, with sources later confirming the breakup between the American actor and his Australian model girlfriend to The New York Post’s Page Six on Tuesday. Efron, 33, nor Valladares, 25, have yet to comment on their rumored split, which comes just weeks after sources told E! that the pair were “very happy” together.

“He’s very happy being with Vanessa and living in Australia,” the insider told E! on April 1. “It’s changed his life for the better.” The source went on to note that the pair, who began dating in July 2020, traveled together often. “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,” the insider said, before revealing that Valladares—who worked as a waitress at the same café where she met Efron—quit her job to make their relationship work. “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.”

So, what happened? While the Aussie outlet The Daily Telegraph did not reveal a reason for the couple’s split, it was previously speculated that the couple broke up in late 2020 due to the demands of Efron’s career. British tabloid The Sun falsely reported their breakup at the time, yet sources noted that “Zac’s work and the enforced distance has really taken its toll” after Efron relocated nearly 1,000 miles away to Adelaide from Byron Bay to film his 2021 movie, Gold. 

“Zac and Vanessa looked like the real deal. They were besotted with each other,” a source revealed at the time. “So 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.”

Source: Instagram

The insider added, “Friends hope they can reunite, but it seems their relationship was more like a holiday romance than they cared to admit.” Although Efron and Valladares were spotted out and about together again following The Sun’s report, it’s possible their insiders may be right this time around—or not! We’ll keep our eyes peeled for any outings by these rumored exes, either way.