At a star-studded ceremony like the Academy Awards, it can be difficult for attendees to pull focus.
Will Smith achieved the feat in 2022 with the infamous slap heard ‘round the world, and the team behind La La Land stole the spotlight when they mistakenly accepted the Best Picture award in 2017. While it might not have quite the same level of shock-factor, Vanessa Hudgens this year pulled off an Oscars surprise of her own, while appearing on the red carpet of the 96th Academy Awards.
The High School Musical and star, who co-hosted ABC’s official pre-show red carpet coverage alongside Julianne Hough, arrived at the ceremony with a noticeable baby bump, which begs the question — is Vanessa Hudgens pregnant?
Is Vanessa Hudgens pregnant?
Vanessa Hudgens confirmed that she is expecting her first child while attending the 2024 Oscars. The Disney Channel alum shares the child with her husband Cole Tucker, whom she married at a ceremony in Tulum, Mexico in October 2023. The pair first started dating in 2020, and Tucker is known as a professional baseball player who is currently signed to the Seattle Mariners.
Hudgens revealed the pregnancy with a form-fitting Vera Wang couture dress on the Oscars red carpet. The actress proudly showed off her baby bump in the all-black long-sleeve number, and while she wasn’t able to discuss the announcement at the event, Hudgens has spoken of her pregnancy journey in the past.
In 2022, The Princess Switch star told Nylon that she thought she would have been married with children by the age of 25. “When that didn’t happen,” Hudgens recalled, “I was like, ‘Oh, we’re just going to shift everything back a bit.’” The actress said she had since considered having children at around 36-years-old, which puts the 35-year-old right on track with her first pregnancy.
Earlier this month, Hudgens addressed rumors that she was pregnant during an interview on the podcast She Pivots. She said at the time that there’s “nothing wrong about being pregnant,” before revealing that she “can’t wait for the day.” Thankfully, that day has finally arrived — though details about the baby’s gender remain unknown.
Hudgens is the latest in a long line of celebrities to reveal their baby bumps at public events. Rihanna announced her pregnancy during her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, and Cardi B showcased her own baby bump while performing on Saturday Night Live in 2018. For Hudgens, it appears to be “The Start Of Something New” (shoutout to the High School Musical soundtrack.