Is Vanessa Hudgens Facing Jail Time for Heart Carving?

07/15/2019 08:50 pm EDT


Actress Vanessa Hudgens and her actor-boyfriend, Austin Butler, are under investigation for defacing a protected rock formation in Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona, over Valentine's Day weekend.

Hudgens is best known for High School Musical and most recently her role in Grease: Live, while Butler is one of the stars of the new MTV show, The Shannara Chronicles.

Over the weekend, Hudgens posted a photograph on Instagram that showed the couple's names carved into a rock with a heart — it has since been deleted. The red rock formations are actually federally protected.


(Photo: Instagram / @vanessahudgens)

It's unclear if authorities have located the rock, but they are further investigating at this time and requesting witnesses, reports Fox News. The stars may surprisingly face a $5,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail.

Brady Smith, a representative for the forest, told Fox News, "People make mistakes whether knowingly or unknowingly," but he added that doesn't excuse the actors from committing a crime.

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