Nina Dobrev and Shaun White have split and ended their engagement after five years together, a source close to the couple has confirmed
Vampire Diaries actress Nina Dobrev and Olympic snowboarder Shaun White have called off their engagement and parted ways after a five-year relationship.
The last public sighting of White, 39, and Dobrev, 36, was on 31 August 2025 in Los Angeles, where they were seen hand-in-hand running errands. However, Dobrev was seen without her 5 carat diamond engagement ring at the Eternity premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September.
Dobrev, known for her role as Elena Gilbert on the popular CW vampire drama for six seasons, has also removed her pinned engagement post from her Instagram, which had been at the top since White’s romantic proposal in October 2024.
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In her now-deleted announcement, the star penned, “RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé,” reports the Mirror US. White shared the same photos and wrote, “She said YES.”
A source close to the pair has since told PEOPLE of the split: “It was a mutual decision, and wasn’t an easy one, but it was made with love and a deep respect for one another.”
According to Vogue, White had “a few different plans to propose” to Dobrev. He initially planned to pop the question during their summer holiday, but changed his mind after Dobrev injured her knee in a dirt-biking accident.
He then considered proposing when they were in Cape Town for The Earthshot Prize Ceremony.
After White sensed that Dobrev might have anticipated a proposal during their South Africa trip, he opted to pop the question during an ordinary week in late October, orchestrating every detail: the date, venue (The Golden Swan restaurant in New York City), blooms, and a photographer.
For weeks, he secretly relocated Dobrev’s five-carat Lorraine Schwartz engagement ring throughout their house to prevent discovery. Initially stored in the safe, it was then moved to his sock drawer, and finally hidden deep in the tool shed.
He arranged for his publicist to send Dobrev a fabricated invitation to an exclusive CFDA/Vogue supper with Anna Wintour at the Golden Swan in New York City, which she readily accepted. “He made the invite look so legitimate,” Dobrev revealed at the time.
Upon entering the private dining room, she discovered only a photographer and White waiting inside. “I went into shock. I just froze and stared at him,” she explained.
Her initial reaction was, “No.” Followed by, “No, no, no!”.
“I knew she was nervous because when she’s nervous she’ll make jokes. She’s like, ‘So, wait, Anna’s not here?'” White recalled. Dobrev admitted she can’t recall precisely what unfolded next, having somewhat blacked out, though she does remember that “he said all the right things.”
The couple waited several days before revealing their engagement online.
The duo initially crossed paths briefly at an awards ceremony in 2012, but didn’t properly connect until 2019 when both were enlisted as speakers at an event organised by motivational guru Tony Robbins. Reminiscing about their meal together after the event, White revealed to PEOPLE in January 2022 that he “actually didn’t know anything about [Dobrev]” at the time.
Nevertheless, he was puzzled when numerous staff members requested photographs with her. “And I was like, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ It was actually really funny,” he remembered.
The pair began their romance in 2019 and quickly moved in together when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. White and Dobrev made their relationship Instagram official in May 2020 when White posted a collection of photos showing Dobrev cutting his hair during lockdown.
During their five-year relationship, the duo were frequently spotted on red carpets and championing each other’s careers. In 2022, Dobrev was there to cheer on White as he took part in his fifth and final Winter Olympics in Beijing.
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