Zac Efron's Mom Bought Him Condoms For Christmas

'High School Musical' star explains how he and Vanessa Hudgens were photographed at a 'sex shop.'

Back in December, someone snapped a photo of Zac Efron and his girlfriend and fellow "High School Musical" star, Vanessa Hudgens, hanging out at what appeared to be a sex shop. The image of the Disney stars made the tabloid and Internet rounds, of course, and got everyone talking, including Efron's mom, Starla.

"My mom is like, 'Zac, what did you buy in a sex shop?' " Efron said in an interview for the April issue of Elle magazine. "I was like, 'Mom, calm down, it's not a sex shop.' She wouldn't have any of it. She's like, 'I knew you were being sexual!' But she understood. My stocking was full of condoms this Christmas. She buys me the economy box."

Efron was quick to clarify that his reasons for going to the alleged sex shop weren't as naughty as everyone seemed to think it was. "It was Hallows Eve like, two years ago. It was just a costume store," the 21-year-old explained, according to AccessHollywood.com. (In other news, who calls it "Hallows Eve"?) "In the back they have an adult section for adult costumes. And this nice older woman asked for a photo."

Although he told the magazine that he'll "make as many light-hearted movies" as he can and enjoyed the way the "HSM" musical keeps "the kid inside of me" alive, Efron also revealed that part of him still doesn't get their popularity.

"As far back as I can remember, I couldn't understand or relate to a lot of kids," he said. "I still don't understand how 'High School Musical' became a hit."

Efron told the magazine that as his career advances, he would love to follow in the footsteps of another former teen idol. And, recently he finally got the chance to meet that idol: Leonardo DiCaprio. "I was all, 'Oh, hey!' And he turned around and right there I had the 'in,' " he recalled of their encounter at GQ's Men of the Year Awards.

"And I was like, 'I just want to shake your hand, dude, I'm a big fan. ... I'd love to sit down and talk with you sometime.' And he goes, 'Right on,' " Efron said. "A few nights later, I was at a Lakers game and I texted him, and he said he was coming. And this guy in a ball cap and coat with the collar up sits next to me. We talked the whole game, and he was just everything I thought he would be: smart, level-headed, charming, hilarious. You know, the older-brother vibe."