‘The Vampire Diaries’ Franchise Couples Who Dated in Real-Life

The Vampire Diaries didn’t just have countless couples on screen — many cast members found love with their costars or members of the extended franchise.

After The Vampire Diaries debuted on The CW in 2009, viewers quickly got invested in the supernatural events taking place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. At the center of the drama was Elena’s (Nina Dobrev) love triangle with Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

Off screen, Dobrev and Somerhalder sparked a romance in 2010 and continued to date for three years.

“The first time I was on the cover of Seventeen, the cover line said, ‘Nina: Why She Wouldn’t Date Any of Her Costars.’ And then cut to two years later, [I am],” Dobrev joked during an interview with Seventeen in October 2012. “It’s funny that I said that, but you know what? It was honestly what I believed at the time.”

She added: “I didn’t want to be dating one of my costars — my goal on the show was to be professional. 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.”

The pair broke up in 2013, but continued to work together for two more seasons. After their split, Somerhalder moved on with Nikki Reed. They wed in 2015 and share two kids together. Dobrev, meanwhile, has been in a relationship with Shaun White since 2020.

Their costar Wesley was already married to Torrey DeVitto when she made multiple appearances on The Vampire Diaries, but following their divorce, he had a new offscreen love interest.

Wesley was linked to Phoebe Tonkin, who appeared on The Vampire Diaries and The Originals as Hayley. They dated on and off for four years before calling it quits.

Keep scrolling for more couples who happened behind the scenes of The Vampire Diaries: