During the 2023 Oscars red carpet, fans were hoping to see Kaia Gerber walk alongside her Academy Award-nominated boyfriend Austin Butler — but the actor ended up taking his “best friend” and agent instead. Later in the night, Gerber and Butler gave everyone a glam couple moment as they posed for photos together at the afterparty.
Gerber didn’t join Butler at the 2023 Oscars earlier in the evening and during an interview with Ashley Graham on the red carpet, Butler explained why. When Graham asked, “I thought I was going to see a little arm candy tonight. Where is Kaia?” Butler explained, “I’ve got my best friend here with me, who is also my agent. I owe my career to him, so as a thank you, I wanted him to be by my side.”
The actor brought along his friend and agent James Farrell as his plus-one to the 95th annual Academy Awards. Butler was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Elvis Presley in the 2022 Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis.
Later that night, Butler and Gerber took home the title as the chicest couple at the afterparty. Gerber donned a slinky silver sequin Celine halter dress with keyhole cutout and a thigh-high slit, styled by Danielle Goldberg. The model wore her brunette strands in a soft blowout with a middle part and amped up the glamour with De Beers jewels and strappy rhinestone-emblazoned sandals.
Butler put a new spin on menswear with a Saint Laurent look from the Fall/Winter 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Styled by Sandra Amador, the actor wore a sleek black suit with a heather-toned silk blouse, tied with a low-cut pussy bow.
Geber and Butler were first romantically linked after being seen together exiting a yoga class in December 2021. E! then reported that Gerber and Butler spent Valentine’s Day together in London. They made it red carpet official by March 2022 at a pre-Oscars party, going on to attend the 2022 Met Gala arm-in-arm that May. Gerber has steadfastly supported her boyfriend throughout his Elvis press junket and awards season, cheering him on at the Cannes Film Festival this summer and celebrating his triumph at the Golden Globes backstage.
