Austin Butler isn't mucking up the dating rumors waters. After his nights on the town with Emily Ratajkowski in New York City stirred up dating speculations, the "Elvis" star is clarifying where they stand. "The true answer is that I have a lot of friends," the 34-year-old told Vanity Fair in an interview published on November 18. "And we're friends, we had dinner, and that's it, we're friends."
Austin and Emily, both 34, sparked romance rumors in September when they were spotted together at the "Caught Stealing" afterparty following the film's premiere, and again days later getting cozy in a booth at the hotspot Waverly Inn. That same month, the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star was seen dining with a mystery woman, whom the internet suspected was TikToker Hailey Kalil—known as Haleyybaylee on the platform. And though she denied the rumors, she did playfully invite the chatter. "It's not me, but I wish it was," the influencer, who was previously married to NFL star Matt Kalil, told TMZ on September 4. "Austin, my DMs are open."
Earlier this year, Austin and Kaia Gerber ended their three-year relationship. Though Austin has remained notoriously private about his personal life, he shared why he's decided to shift his perspective. "I just wanted to hide," he told Vanity Fair of his choice to not speak on personal matters in his life. "Am I going to live a constricted small life because I'm afraid of what other people are going to say or think?"
For now, while he's still on the market, the "Carrie Diaries" alum is looking forward to a future with a partner and kids when the time is right. "You get one life," he told the outlet. "So how can I allow that to hopefully make me a better friend and a better partner—and a better husband one day, and a better father one day, God willing?"
