Here's the thing about being a celebrity, once you're famous, everyone wants to know
what they're doing, who they're dating, and then have an opinion about it.
So when news broke out about Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev's breakup, boy oh boy, did
people have an opinion about it.
Especially the die-hard Vampire Diaries fans.
Damon and Elena had been the heart and soul of The Vampire Diaries, and everyone loved
that the actors were dating in real life too.
So their breakup shook the fans to their core.
What upset the fans even more was when Ian started dating Nikki Reed pretty soon after
their breakup.
While Ian seemed to have moved on, Delena fans had not, and they weren't afraid to share
their rage.
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you need to know about Hollywood's most beloved couples.
Nina Dobrev and Somerhalder first met in 2008 on the set of The Vampire Diaries.
It's pretty surprising to think that they had never crossed paths before they were cast
in The CW series, considering that they were both prominent figures in the entertainment
industry for a long time.
Nina was cast in the roles of Elena Gilbert and vampire Katherine Pierce while Ian played
one of the Salvatore brothers.
Soon after their first encounter, Dobrev and Somerhalder became friends.
And just months later, the couple was spotted together out of the set for the first time.
While they hadn't started dating yet, their chemistry was obvious to everyone around them.
It wasn't until the pair were spotted kissing at the airport at the beginning of 2010 that
fans started wondering if Nina and Ian might have taken their friendship to a new level.
Just a few months later, the pair made their appearance at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.
There, the Ian star wrapped his arm around Nina affectionately.
It was clear that they were making a pretty big statement; they were letting the world
know that they were officially a couple.
Naturally, The Vampire Diaries fans went bonkers.
It's any fan's dream to see their favorite TV couple take their romance off-screen too.
If Nina and Ian were anything like Damon and Elena, fans could not have been more thrilled.
After confirming their relationship, a close friend to the couple told Us Weekly that they
were "the real deal."
Somerhalder talked about his girlfriend with Us Weekly.
He shared, "Her desire to experience and appreciate everything around her, and chuckle and enjoy
it, is great."
The lovebirds celebrated their romance by taking trips together and even brought their
mothers along with them for the ride.
As their relationship blossomed, they went Christmas tree shopping, supported each other
at award shows and over one another to the press.
It was like The Vampire Diaries just shot right out of the TV and into the real world.
Nina and Ian had brought Damon and Elena's romance to life, and fans couldn't get enough
of them.
They were the talk of the town.
Literally, everyone was talking about them, all the time.
By 2012, rumors that the couple was engaged started to circulate, but Nina quickly confirmed
that the rumors simply weren't true.
The then-23-year-old spoke with Access to clear up any gossip.
"I'd heard some crazy story that I'd been proposed to, but I would be wearing a ring
if I had one.
Not true at all.
I mean, that's not my [style].
I'm young.
I'm really young," Nina said.
She also explained that she was completely focused on her career and driven to take her
work to the next level.
She admitted she wasn't ready to settle down and have kids or "any of that."
After around three years-long romance, Dobrev and Somerhalder broke up in early May 2013.
A source close to the pair revealed that the couple would continue working together on
The Vampire Diaries and remain the best of friends after their breakup.
It was only a few months later that Ian and Nikki started dating.
Fans thought it was a pretty interesting coincidence that the actor went from dating one vampire
actress to another.
Nikki was well known for her role in The Twilight Saga as Edwards Vampire sister, Rosalie.
They couldn't help but wonder if maybe Ian exchanged Nina for an actress in a far more
successful Vampire series.
Fans were even more surprised to find out that just a mere three weeks later, Ian and
Nikki moved in together.
The Internet exploded and public drama unfolded, leading to controversies.
The trash rumors went viral, leading to an upheaval in the new couple's life.
It claimed that Ian and Nina split because of Nikki.
Nikki was accused of stabbing her friend in the back, Ian was accused of cheating on Nina.
What made things worse was that just one month after Ian and Nikki said their "I do's" in
a beautiful wedding ceremony, Nina announced that she was leaving The Vampire Diaries,
for good.
And, yes, Nina was invited to Ian and Nikki's wedding, though she didn't attend.
"She was invited.
She actually thought about going, but in the end Nina decided it would just be too awkward,"
a source revealed.
The Vampire Diaries fans were furious, and they were coming for vengeance.
The rumors also reported a feud between Dobrev and Reed, who had been friends for years.
It got so bad, that eventually, the actors decided to come forward and make their own
statement against all the shocking allegations that were being made.
Ian, Nikki and Nina took to their respective Instagram handle, posting pictures together
while hanging out and claiming rumors baseless in their captions.
Hence, the trio had no hard feelings for each other.
The explanation did not seem believable, considering the timing of Nina's exit.
The fans believed that Nina was too heartbroken to see Ian with someone else and could not
stand working with her.
The former lovers never discussed the real reason behind their split and never addressed
the issue with the media.
While the real reason that Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder split isn't officially known,
there has always been some speculation that their ten-year age difference could have played
a role.
"The relationship kind of brewed out of a friendship and the fact that they had to get
into a romance for the show.
I think she decided she wanted to experience other things," A close friend of Dobrev shared.
However, Nina's previous statements about not being ready for marriage and kids were
probably the real reason.
It's possible that Ian was ready to settle down and start a family of his own, but she
wasn't ready for anything that serious.
Perhaps Ian wasn't willing to wait for Nina to be ready, so they chose to part ways.
Around the time that their relationship ended, Ian took to Twitter to share a cryptic quote.
"A thought for today: 'People change and forget to tell each other,'" he wrote.
The Tweet has since been deleted.
After Ian and Nikki made the big move down the aisle, Nina reacted to their wedding news
in an interview.
She said that she was happy for the loved-up couple, and added that she thought the wedding
was beautiful.
She knew that people were going to expect a lot of drama over their breakup, but things
were really amicable between the three of them.
She also mentioned that there wasn't any tension between her and Ian, and they still care for
each other as friends.
In fact, she's also still good friends with Nikki.
While you might think that's a little weird, Nina would have to disagree.
"I don't think that's weird at all.
I think that's great," Nina told Andy Cohen on an episode of Watch What Happens Live in
2019.
She has even met Ian and Nikki's daughter, Bodhi . "Why can't everyone be friends?
I think they have a beautiful baby, and they are happy and so am I.
What's bad about that?
I don't see any problem with that," Nina added.
While many would have assumed that having to act on screen as a couple after a breakup,
Dobrev shared that everything remained very professional on set.
She also confessed that the reason why she left The Vampire Diaries had nothing to do
with their breakup.
Nina admitted that she quit the show because she was worried that she'd end up being typecast
if she remained in the show for too long.
So she left the show so that she could focus on taking her career in a different direction
and explore more options.
Both Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder have moved on in their personal lives.
Regardless of whatever the rumors said, it seems that there really isn't any bad blood
between Nina and Ian.
Nikki and Ian are also happier than ever.
They often take to Instagram to speak lovingly about one another and share their glorious
life with their daughter and all their rescued animals.
Somerhalder revealed the key to his relationship with Reed is "Communication.
Taking time for yourself — for yourselves together [and separately],"
In a post celebrating Nikki's 33rd birthday, Ian shared on his Instagram, "Happy 33 you
incredible angel of a person.
The light you radiate into our household and this planet is beyond inspiring.
You are a superwoman.
You made it possible for me to live, build my dreams, and to start my life over.
The world needs people like you.
Love, Ian aka Baby Daddy."
These days, it seems as though Nina has also found a love of her own.
She has been dating Olympic snowboarder Shaun White for over a year.
They made their relationship Instagram official in May of 2020, during quarantine.
Although Nina and Shaun haven't hung out with Ian and Nikki publicly, we're sure the four
of them would get along.