‘Lost’: Ian Somerhalder Dated His On-Screen Stepsister
As everyone knows, sets often give way to co-star relationships, and Lost star Ian Somerhalder knows a thing or two about that. The Vampire Diaries star dated Maggie Grace, who played his stepsister in the Fox drama, before later dating another co-star. Today, he’s married to a third actor.
Ian Somerhalder dated Maggie Grace, who played his stepsister on ‘Lost’
Lost follows the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves stranded on a mysterious island. The strangers have to work together to survive, but they realize they aren’t alone on the island. The series aired for six seasons from 2004 to 2010 and was a smash hit with audiences.
Although Somerhalder is perhaps best known for his role as Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, he first played Boone Carlyle on Lost. Boone ran his mother’s business and was its chief operating officer. Maggie Grace played Boone’s stepsister and a former dance teacher, Shannon Rutherford.
Somerhalder’s character was the first person to die on the island after a secret excursion turned deadly. Although Grace and Somerhalder didn’t share much screen time, their time together resulted in a friendship and eventual romance.
According to Glamour, the actors began dating in 2006 after meeting on Lost in 2004, and both their characters got killed off. The outlet notes that the couple even got a cat named Roo during their time together.
However, neither Grace nor Somerhalder confirmed their romance, with Grace saying in August 2006 that she was “far too young to even think about having a serious relationship.” The pair dated for under a year and called things off in 2007. In 2017, Grace told New You that she and Somerhalder have remained good friends since their split.
Maggie Grace stopped dating actors
After her romance with Somerhalder, Maggie Grace moved on with Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS Shoes. The pair began dating in 2007 but broke up in July 2009. In 2012, she and director Matthew Cooke started dating, with Cooke popping the big question in February 2015. Grace and Cooke called off the engagement a year after splitting up in February 2016.
That year Grace began seeing entertainment company exec, Brent Bushnell. The couple got engaged in February 2017 and tied the knot on May 28, 2017. Bushnell and Grace welcomed their first child, a son, in 2020.
Grace said in 2017 that she doesn’t like dating actors because it’s too much work. The actor said she has nothing against actors, and while it’s possible to make things work, “it takes some doing,” for which she has no energy.
Ian Somerhalder also dated his ‘Vampire Diaries’ co-star Nina Dobrev
After his relationship with Grace ended, Somerhalder moved on with Lupita Jones in 2008. While nothing was confirmed, the pair packed on the PDA at public outings and events. He then reportedly dated Ashley Greene the following year, but their tryst was short-lived.
That same year, he started filming his iconic role in The Vampire Diaries, where he and his co-star Nina Dobrev met. The two were also on-screen lovers. The actors continued their romance in real life, dating for three years before going their separate ways in May 2013.
Somerhalder and Dobrev maintained a professional relationship until the series ended and have remained friends. Dobrev told E! News in 2015 that she and the star didn’t have a nasty breakup and maintained they were friends despite the breakup.
A year after calling it quits with Dobrev, Somerhalder started dating Greene’s Twilight co-star Nikki Reed. The pair got engaged less than a year later in 2015 and walked down the aisle less than four months later. Reed and Somerhalder welcomed their first child, a girl, on July 25, 2017.
