Why Kaia Gerber Isn’t With Austin Butler at the 2023 Golden Globes

Elvis‘ Austin Butler spoke ahead of the Golden Globes about who his date would be for the evening, and—to the surprise of some, surely—it’s not his girlfriend of a year, Kaia Gerber. And sure enough, on the red carpet, he wasn’t with her. He posed solo. At the show, he was joined by his older sister Ashley, as he said days before he would although it wasn’t an easy choice.

“I’m going to bring my sister,” he told Entertainment Tonight. The decision of who would join him was “hard, [but] she’s my one and only sister, so it’ll be nice to be with her.”

Butler is nominated for Best Actor, Drama for his work in Elvis.

But for those concerned it’s sending a message about his relationship with Gerber, rest assured: They’re very much still together. The two attended W and Louis Vuitton’s pre-Golden Globes dinner this week, and an eyewitness there told Page Six that the couple was seen “cuddled up in the corner,” signaling publicly that their relationship is fine.

Kaia Gerber at Louis Vuitton and W Magazine’s Awards Season Dinner

In May, Butler spoke about his relationship with Gerber in an interview with GQ—and namely, why he doesn’t won’t talk about it, thanks.

“I don’t think there’s anything I want to share about that,” he said. “But thank you for providing the space.” He ignores the paparazzi photos taken of them and even him alone too if he can help it.

“I go, ‘If I don’t see the picture, then it doesn’t really exist to me,’” he said. “I don’t want to be really negative, but there’s hardly any job I despise more than paparazzi.”

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.