‘The Vampire Diaries’: Nina Dobrev’s Relationship ‘Got Awkward’ After Her Boyfriend Didn’t Land the Role of Damon
Fans adored Nina Dobrev on The Vampire Diaries. She started her journey on the show as Elena Gilbert and perfectly took on the role of her vampire doppelganger, Katherine Pierce. While she seemed to really enjoy her time with the show, she later reflected on how the man she was dating when she first earned her role also auditioned — but he didn’t land the part. Then, their relationship “got awkward.”
Nina Dobrev was rumored to have dated ‘Virgin River’ star Benjamin Hollingsworth
The Vampire Diaries fans know Nina Dobrev dated Damon Salvatore actor Ian Somerhalder. And now, she’s dating Olympic snowboarder Shaun White. But before she landed her role as Elena, she was rumored to have dated fellow actor Benjamin Hollingsworth. According to Perez Hilton, Dobrev and Hollingsworth dated from 2006 to 2009.
Many TV viewers may recognize Hollingsworth as Brady in Virgin River, and before this role, he starred in Suits and Code Black. According to Bustle, he married Nila Myers in 2012 after they dated for two years. They have three kids together, and Hollingsworth has reflected on how he loves being a father.
Myers frequently posts photos of Hollingsworth fathering their children. “Watching you be a dad has been one of the greatest joys of my life,” she posted to Instagram on Father’s Day in 2021. “Thank you for enriching our lives in so many ways. You deserve to be celebrated today and every day.”
Nina Dobrev reflected on her breakup after she landed a role in ‘The Vampire Diaries’
If the rumors regarding Nina Dobrev and Benjamin Hollingsworth dating are true, then it’s clear they didn’t work out. As for why the couple broke up, it seems to have something to do with Dobrev landing a role on The Vampire Diaries. Hollingsworth also allegedly auditioned to play the role of Damon Salvatore — but he didn’t land the role over Ian Somerhalder.
According to Yahoo, Dobrev spoke about the situation to Jessica Szohr on the XOXO podcast. “They were gonna choose him [for the role of Damon Salvatore]. They ended up not choosing him, but I got cast. And then it got awkward.”
Dobrev earning a part in the series and Hollingsworth not earning his part put a rift between them. “We broke up,” she added.
Ultimately, the casting choices were for the best. Dobrev also reflected on her chemistry reads with many different actors. “They all started looking the same and blending into one another,” she noted. With that said, Damon and Stefan were perfectly cast.
How old was Nina Dobrev when she dated Ian Somerhalder?
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated from 2010 to 2013, according to People. Dobrev was 21 when they began dating, and Somerhalder was 32.
Dobrev told Seventeen in 2012 that she never planned to date one of her co-stars, but she couldn’t help her connection with Somerhalder. “I didn’t want to be dating one of my costars — my goal on the show was to be professional,” she said. “But sometimes you can’t help who you have a connection with, and you can only fight it for so long — which I did for a really, really long time.”
Rumors regarding a rejected proposal surrounded the couple, but Dobrev denied the rumors. “It’s not true,” Somerhalder said. “If it were true, I would admit to it, ’cause getting turned down builds character!”
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