AceShowbiz - Vanessa Hudgens has blamed her busy schedule for her split from longtime boyfriend Zac Efron, revealing the couple struggled to maintain a "long-distance relationship". The "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" co-stars' three-year romance came to an end in December 2010, but rumors of a reunion surfaced just weeks later when they were spotted together in a nightclub, and Hudgens also admitted they were "figuring things out".

Hudgens has now confirmed they are definitely not back together and explained the reasons for the break-up, insisting their acting roles kept them apart. She tells Shape magazine, "Long-distance relationships are hard no matter what. When you don't have face-to-face time, it's just different. Having an iPhone helped, but it wasn't the same."

But the singer-actress is adamant she will always have fond memories of her relationship with Efron, adding, "We grew up together. It was nice to have someone to share all of those experiences with. It was a good thing. The relationship kept me grounded, and because I was with someone who knew me so well, I didn't need to try to be someone I'm not."