Highlights
- Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated in real life but their relationship ended in 2013, possibly due to age.
- Despite their breakup, Dobrev and Somerhalder maintained a professional relationship on set and remained close friends after their split.
- Both Dobrev and Somerhalder have moved on since their breakup, with Somerhalder being married to Nikki Reed and Dobrev now dating Shaun White.
Nina Dobrev has certainly managed to make a name for herself. While she's constantly having to swear that she's not Victoria Justice, a celeb she's often mistaken for, Nina still stands on her own, especially following her success on the hit CW series, The Vampire Diaries.
The star appeared on the series alongside Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, to name a few, solidifying herself as a teen drama icon. Well, as if starring in a drama wasn't enough, it appears as if the on-screen shockers started making way into Nina's personal life, especially when it came to her love life and her relationship with Ian.
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated in real life, which mirrored their characters' connection, but their romance didn't last very long. Let's take a look at why they broke up.
Nina Dobrev And Ian Somerhalder: The Split
While fans adored Nina and Ian together, their relationship came to a fumble back in 2013, shocking fans across the globe. Following the announcement of their split, fans immediately began to wonder what could've happened between the two.
A source shared that the break-up might have been caused by the age difference between the actors. According to Us Weekly, a source said, "I think she decided she wanted to experience other things." A source also explained, "The relationship kind of brewed out of a friendship and the fact that they had to get into a romance for the show."
Somerhalder was 34 and Dobrev was 24 at the time, so it does make sense that perhaps they were interested in different things for their futures, considering a decade difference does add up.
According to Nicki Swift, people believe that while Somerhalder would have gotten married, Dobrev didn't want to do that just yet. The website also noted that when Somerhalder started seeing Nikki Reed, they announced their engagement six months after they began seeing each other. In 2015, they got married and then, in 2017, had their baby girl. People wonder if he wanted to get married and have kids and Dobrev didn't feel like she was at that life stage yet.
Were Dobrev And Somerhalder's Awkward On 'The Vampire Diaries' Set After Their Breakup?
According to PopSugar, Dobrev and Somerhalder had a great moment when they won a People's Choice Award for "onscreen chemistry" in 2014. The couple said that they had split up, but Elena and Damon were still very much in love.
Dobrev said, "Good thing it's not awkward!" and then said, "Well, it's a good thing we have chemistry!" Us Weekly reported that the couple's relationship started in 2010 and by May 2013, it was finished.
The actress shared with Seventeen magazine, "I didn’t want to be dating one of my costars — my goal on the show was to be professional. But sometimes you can’t help who you have a connection with, and you can only fight it for so long — which I did for a really, really long time.”
Claire Holt, who played one of the original vampires on the series, revealed that Dobrev and Somerhalder "kept it super professional" on set after their breakup.
"It never got weird, like, props to them," Hold told Us Weekly. "They did a great job at managing that. But it's hard. Like for a lot people, it's really tough."
Are Nina Dobrev And Ian Somerhalder Friends?
While some people are cool being friends with people they used to go out with, others think that sounds really tricky. They may have moved on but still feel some envy when seeing their ex-partner with someone new.
In the case of Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder, they are actually still quite close.
Dobrev went on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and said that it was a positive thing that she was friends with Somerhalder and Reed. She said, "I don’t think that’s weird at all. I think that’s great. I think, ‘Why can’t everyone be friends?’ I think that they have a beautiful baby, and they are happy and so am I, and what’s bad about that? I don’t see any problem with that," according to Cheat Sheet.
Cheat Sheet pointed out that Reed and Dobrev also had a friendship when she was in a relationship with Somerhalder.
Somerhalder took to his Instagram in 2017 to call out the misinformation that Dobrev and Reed were on bad terms. "Only love here--always has been always will be," he captioned the photo of himself, Reed, and Dobrev. He went on to villainize the media companies spreading the information, saying, "Media companies preying on the passion from vulnerable and or impressionable minds of fans to sell advertising through click-though traffic is a disease in our society."
Who Are Dobrev And Somerhalder Dating Now?
Both actors have moved on since their split. Somerhalder and Nikki Reed have been married since 2015 and they seem to be totally in love. According to Us Weekly, Somerhalder celebrated Mother's Day in 2018 with a photo of Reed when she was pregnant and he had a very romantic message for her.
As for Nina Dobrev, the star has been linked to a number of actors, including Liam Hemsworth, Derek Hough, and Glenn Powell, however, and now former snowboarder Shaun White now has her heart!
Dobrev has been busy in recent years supporting White at the end of his snowboarding career, and White has certainly shown his support for her acting career.
E! News says the duo may have started dating in March 2020 and a source told the publication that they are looking to "the future." Well, it looks like the future got here quicker than expected as she is looking to get married!
Us Weekly reported that things between Nina and Shaun have been so good that marriage is quite literally "around the corner". Ah!!! No news of a ring yet, even several years after this rumor circulated, but fans are hoping this couple ties the knot soon.
Dobrev and White just purchased a home together and are certainly planning on spending the rest of their lives together.