Zac Efron’s Dating History: A Timeline of His Famous Exes and Romances

Credit: Michael Bezjian/WireImage; Don Arnold/WireImage

Zac Efron's Dating History: A Timeline of His Famous Exes and Romances

The ladies love him! Zac Efron is a leading man not only on the silver screen but also on the Hollywood dating scene. The Greatest Showman star has been linked to several of his costars, including Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical, Alexandra Daddario, who shared the screen with him in Baywatch, and Lily Collins, who appeared alongside him in Netflix's Ted Bundy biopic, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. More recently, Us Weekly confirmed that the Greatest Showman star dated Olympic swimmer Sarah Bro and then actress Halston Sage. Efron followed up the short-lived romances by dating model Vanessa Valladares, whom he met in Australia in June 2020. “Zac and Vanessa are really good for each other,” a source exclusively told Us in September 2020. “She has calmed him down a lot, and he’s not partying too much.” Us confirmed in April 2021 that the pair called it quits. [jwplayer DgRD9fdn-zhNYySv2] The Disaster Artist actor’s journey to finding true love hasn’t been particularly smooth. In 2016, the Disney alum lamented to Ellen DeGeneres about how difficult it was searching for a mate. "Dating is kind of hard," he said at the time. "A forced awkward situation is very strange. Especially for me, for some reason. I like to go and do something adventurous. I like to go out and do some sort of crazy activity." The Neighbors star elaborated to the U.K. Times in July 2016, telling the publication, “Dating is something I’ll never be able to do. As in the dictionary definition of dating, because one way or another, I’ve impacted that person’s life and they’ll soon realize it. A date has to be very long to dispel whatever people think about me.” Efron also admitted to an attempt at online dating, telling the Times, “Amazingly, when I signed up for Tinder, nobody swiped me!” he said. “They thought [my profile] was fake." Scroll down to relive all the 17 Again star’s romances over the years.

Credit: Alexandra Wyman/WireImage

Vanessa Hudgens

Efron’s most high-profile relationship was also one of his earliest: The MTV Movie & TV Award winner fell for his High School Musical costar, whom he met in 2005, at the tender age of 17. The twosome went their separate ways in 2010. "It was mutual," a source told Us at the time. "They have been together for so long. It just ran its course."

Credit: George Pimentel/Getty Images

Lily Collins

The Baywatch star casually dated Collins in 2012, long before the two made their Netflix flick. The pair wound up calling it quits after just three months. “They're no longer together,” an insider explained to Us. “They were never serious, though; it was just a casual thing and it fizzled. They were never in the same place at the same time."

Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock; Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Michelle Rodriguez

Efron had a short-lived fling with the Fast and the Furious actress in the summer of 2014, when they were spotted packing on the PDA in Ibiza, Spain. That August, multiple sources confirmed to Us that the pair had split. "Michelle is going to do her own thing. Zac knew this about her when he got with her," a source said. "He's very into her though, and perhaps more than she's into him."

Credit: Larry Busacca/MTV1415/Getty Images for MTV

Sami Miró

The actor settled down once more in October 2014 with businesswoman Miró. “It’s definitely different,” she told Elle of the newfound attention she received after becoming his girlfriend. They lasted nearly two years, but broke up in April 2016.

Credit: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Alexandra Daddario

Rumors began swirling around the pair after they costarred 2017’s Baywatch. Daddario shot them down that May. "We work together closely; he's my love interest in the film. I understand why people would go crazy over something like that, but Zac and I are very good friends,” she said at a press conference. However, they were spotted walking their dogs together in L.A. in March 2018, and appeared to still be on good terms in August, when Efron referred to her as a “hot bitch” on Instagram.

Credit: Patrick Lewis/Starpix/Shutterstock; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fox

Rebecca Ferguson

The Greatest Showman stars neither confirmed nor denied dating speculation after Efron shared a shot of her looking at him lovingly with his arm wrapped around her in December 2017. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” he wrote at the time. “Only words I can think of now are: wtf were u thinking dude?! Look at her!! #GreatestShowman #RebeccaFerguson.”

Credit: MJ Photos/Shutterstock; Aller/MEGA

Sarah Bro

The couple first sparked dating rumors in January 2019, when they were spotted attending a fitness class together in L.A. Two months later, Us confirmed their “official” status as boyfriend and girlfriend. Us broke the news of their split in January 2020 after Efron rekindled his romance with Sage.

Credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images

Halston Sage

Sage first romanced her Neighbors castmate in April 2014, according to E! News. Though the outlet reported that Efron was “really good to her,” Efron revealed he was single again that July. However, he linked up with Sage again in late 2019. "They are in a serious relationship and in love," a source told Us exclusively in January 2020.

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock; Courtesy Vanessa Valladares/Instagram

Vanessa Valladares

The Beach Bum actor met the model in June 2020 while she was working at the Byron Bay General Store & Café in Australia. Their budding friendship eventually turned romantic, with a source telling Us in September 2020 that “things moved quickly” and that both are “very smitten with each other.” Us confirmed the couple’s split in April 2021.