Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder Break Up after Dating for Three Years; 'Vampire Diaries' Stars Still Together On Screen
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder ended their three year relationship, though they will continue to star together on the small screen.
The two actors, who co-star in The Vampire Diaries costars as Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, have broken up but a source told Us Weekly they will remain friends.
Dobrev and Somerhalder first went public with their romance in 2011. She opened up about bringing her professional life home with her to Seventeen magazine in October 2012, admitting that she initally did not want to mix business with pleasure.
"I didn't want to be dating one of my costars -- my goal on the show was to be professional," the 24-year-old said. "But sometimes you can't help who you have a connection with, and you can only fight it for so long."
Somerhalder, 34, also spoke about their relationship. In September of 2011 he said there were a million things he loved about his girlfriend, citing her love of life and desire to experience new things. He also loved that that she could challenge him. Somerhalder said that Dobrev's ability to push his buttons caused him to do some reflection. It allowed him to change some facets of himself.
"When you're really close to someone, they can make fun of you a lot and get away with it," he said. "It forces you to sort of be introspective and ask yourself, 'Wow, is that really how people see me?' Apparently so!"
The status of their relationship came into question in January 2013, when rumors started to surface that the couple was engaged. Dobrev denied the reports, however, telling Access Hollywood that her boyfriend had not proposed and that marriage was not on her mind. She said her career was still her main focus.
"I'm a career woman and a young, very driven woman and I've got a lot I have to accomplish before I settle down and have kids and do any of that," she said.
By March, reports started to surface that the two were ending their relationship as opposed to forming a permanent union. Their appearances together became less frequent but at the time, rumors of a split were denied.
