Vanessa Hudgens and her husband, professional baseball player Cole Tucker, have welcomed their first child. The “High School Musical” star confirmed the joyous news in a social media post, but also expressed her disappointment with the paparazzi for invading their privacy during this special time. TMZ had published photos of Hudgens and Tucker leaving a hospital with their newborn on July 3.
In her Instagram story on July 4, Hudgens wrote, “We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was disrespected and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long lens camera feeding the media.” Despite the intrusion, she added, “Mom, dad, and baby are happy and healthy.”
Hudgens had announced her pregnancy in March by showcasing her baby bump on the red carpet at the 96th Annual Academy Awards. Dressed in a floor-length black gown, she posed for photographers while cradling her bump. Later, she attended a Vanity Fair afterparty in a sheer black dress that highlighted her bump, accentuated by a bellybutton ring.
In May, Hudgens shared another picture on Instagram, showing her and Tucker, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels, posing together on a baseball field. She captioned it with a quote from the 1994 baseball fantasy movie “Angels in the Outfield”: “You can call it faith, you can call it angels, you can call it whatever you want.”
Hudgens and Tucker tied the knot in Tulum, Mexico, in December 2023, less than a year after announcing their engagement in February 2023. The couple first sparked dating rumors in late 2020 after meeting on a Zoom meditation session led by lifestyle podcaster Jay Shetty. Hudgens told “Entertainment Tonight” the following year that Tucker came into her life thanks to the “power of manifestation.”
In April 2023, Hudgens told TODAY.com that she had a list of qualities she was looking for in a partner. “Someone who can celebrate themselves so that they can celebrate me. Someone who has an innately positive outlook on life, because I do. Someone who works to live, not lives to work. Someone goofy,” she said. After spending her first weekend with Tucker, she knew he was the one. “I was like, you literally check all of my boxes,” she recalled.
The beloved High School Musical alum recently gave birth to her first child and announced the exciting news on Instagram on Thursday, July 4. According to Page Six, Hudgens was seen leaving a California hospital in a wheelchair with her newborn in her arms just one day before she shared the news on social media.
Though the new mother is very pleased to have given birth to a healthy child, she is less than thrilled with how the media handled the announcement. The Journey 2: The Mysterious Island actress wanted to share the news of the arrival of her little bundle of joy on her own time, but unfortunately, the media had different plans. Hudgens felt that she and her family’s privacy were heavily disrespected and expressed her distaste along with the birth announcement.
“We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was disrespected and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long lens camera feeding the media,” she stated. She continued, revealing information about their precious new addition, “Despite all of that, mom, dad, and baby are happy and healthy.”
Vanessa Hudgens’ pregnancy came as a pleasant surprise to many when the actress wore a form-fitting gown to host a red carpet event at the Academy Awards in March. She and her baseball player beau tied the knot in December 2023 after dating for nearly four years. Information regarding the exact date of birth and the sex of the newborn has yet to be unveiled as Hudgens and Tucker revel in the bliss that is parenthood.
Hudgens took to Instagram following the birth of her first child to call out the paparazzi for disrespecting her family’s privacy. Paparazzi were stationed outside the hospital where Hudgens gave birth and took photos of her leaving the building while holding her newborn baby.
“We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was disrespected and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long lens camera feeding the media,” Hudgens wrote in a statement published to her Instagram Story. “Despite all of that, mom, dad, and baby are happy and healthy.”
TMZ was one of the first outlets to report that the “High School Musical” alum had given birth. Their story included the paparazzi photos.
Hudgens announced her pregnancy earlier this year at the Oscars, where she was on the red carpet co-hosting the Academy’s official pre-show with Julianne Hough. This is her first child with her husband Cole Tucker. The two married in 2023 after dating for three years.
Prior to announcing her pregnancy, Hudgens spoke out against media rumors that she was expecting her first child. She said on the She Pivots podcast in March, “I literally just had a run-in with the public taking control over their opinion of me in a way that was disrespectful. I went out on my bachelorette party in October and I posted a video of me, and there are all these comments that are like, ‘Oh my god, you’re pregnant.’”
Hudgens went on to call the remarks “so rude,” adding, “I’m sorry I don’t wear Spanx every day and am a real woman and have a real body.”
Source: TODAY.com, Page Six, Entertainment Tonight
