Actress Nina Dobrev rose to fame with her role as Elena Gilbert in the fantasy drama series The Vampire Diaries. In the series, Dobrev’s character faces a turbulent love life as she is conflicted about her feelings for two vampire brothers with a dark past. Like her character, Dobrev’s personal life also saw similar ups and downs, especially in terms of her relationships.
During an interview, Dobrev opened up about having to break up with her actor boyfriend after she was cast on the show. Fans of the show might already know of Dobrev’s brief love affair with co-star Ian Somerhalder, which also ended in a breakup. As a result, it is safe to say that The Vampire Diaries wasn’t good for Dobrev’s dating life, and here is what she had to say about it.
Nina Dobrev Recalled Her First Break-Up After The Vampire Diaries Casting
Nina Dobrev appeared as Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries, with the series debuting in 2008 and lasting eight seasons before concluding in 2017. During an appearance on the XOXO podcast, hosted by Jessica Szohr, Dobrev reflected on her time on the hit series.
Dobrev revealed that when she was in the process of casting for the series, she was dating an actor who tested for the part of Damon Salvatore. While Dobrev did not name the actor, she confirmed that he was rejected during the auditions.
They were gonna choose him, but they ended up not choosing him, But I got cast. And then it got awkward.
Dobrev made the above statement (via E Online), explaining how her casting in the series led to issues in her relationship.
She added that the relationship did not last much longer after she was cast as Elena Gilbert and she broke up with the unnamed actor. The role of Damon Salvatore eventually went to Ian Somerhalder. Dobrev and Somerhalder briefly dated during their time on the series as did their characters.
Nina Dobrev Later Broke Up With The Vampire Diaries Co-Star Ian Somerhalder
Dating actors associated with the role of Damon Salvatore hasn’t worked out well for Dobrev, as the actress eventually split from Somerhalder as well. The co-actors started dating in 2010 but reportedly split up in 2013 after three years of their relationship.
I’ve said this before, that we didn’t break up because anything bad happened or because there wasn’t love or friendship.
Dobrev stated the above about her break up with Somerhalder (via People), suggesting they had parted ways amicably. However, the former co-stars have remained friends over the years.
Following her split from Somerhalder, Dobrev started dating Olympic gold medalist Shaun White in 2020 and the couple got engaged in 2024. While a romance with Somerhalder might not have worked out for Dobrev, at least her character received a happy ending as The Vampire Diaries finale confirmed Elena and Damon ended up with each other.
The Vampire Diaries is streaming on Peacock.
