The Real-Life Partners Of The Cast Of The Vampire Diaries

The following article references domestic abuse.

After premiering on screens in 2009, beloved television series "The Vampire Diaries" enjoyed an eight-season run on The CW. Though the show ended in 2017, viewers still can't get enough of the teen drama about vampires in small-town Mystic Falls. Thankfully, the series enjoys a continued presence on streaming services like Netflix for audiences who need their vampire fix.

"TVD" did its best to capitalize on the vampire craze by following the successes of franchises like "Twilight" and "True Blood," but it was the romance, angst, and supernatural drama which kept viewers coming back for more. The show's popularity launched the careers of actors like Nina Dobrev, Kat Graham, and Candice Accola King. It also drew in established actors like Claire Holt and Matthew Davis who also starred in "TVD" spin-offs, "The Originals" and "Legacies," respectively.

Over the course of eight seasons, viewers watched their share of romances and heartbreaks on "The Vampire Diaries," with the final season bringing some closure for the major characters. But what about behind the scenes? As with any long-running series there's bound to be an off-screen romance or two — and this was certainly the case for "TVD." As of writing this, most of "The Vampire Diaries cast are happily coupled-up. Keep reading to find out the real-life partners of the cast of "The Vampire Diaries."

It's impossible to imagine "The Vampire Diaries" without brooding bad-boy Damon Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder — or "Ian Smolderholder," as he is more affectionately known by fans. The actor was an integral part of the show, which initially centered on his character falling in love with his brother Stefan's girlfriend, Elena.

Mirroring Damon's love life, Somerhalder was also involved in a bit of a love triangle while shooting "The Vampire Diaries." Off-screen, the actor dated co-star Nina Dobrev for three years. However, when their relationship ended in 2013, Somerhalder started something up with another actor: Dobrev's good friend Nikki Reed. Whispers of a love triangle circulated even after Somerhalder and Reed had married in 2015 (via People), but Reed and Dobrev have shut down the drama rumors on Instagram and in interviews over and over again.

In May 2021, Somerhalder revealed how grateful he is to his wife because she "devoted her life" to getting him out of eight-figure debt after a bad business venture. "This woman here decided that she didn't want to see her husband ruin his body/mind/spirit," the "Lost" actor wrote on Instagram. "You are a superwoman. You made it possible for me to live, build my dreams, and to start my life over," added the actor. The couple seem to have put their troubles behind them and are now focused on raising daughter Bodhi Soleil who was born in 2017, E! News confirmed.

When "The Vampire Diaries" hit screens in 2009, "Degrassi" alum Nina Dobrev captured fans' hearts as Elena Gilbert (and her doppelgängers Katherine Pierce and Tatia). However, Dobrev prematurely left the show after Season 6 to pursue other projects, like psychological horror film "Flatliners" with Elliot Page and Diego Luna. She later returned to "TVD" to conclude Elena's story in the Season 8 finale.

While starring on "TVD" Dobrev had a serious, high-profile relationship with her co-star and on-screen love interest, Ian Somerhalder, who played Damon Salvatore. They began dating in 2010 but officially called it quits in 2013, and Dobrev has since moved on with Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist who currently holds the record for being the first snowboarder to win three Olympic titles (per BBC) "sparked romance rumors" with Dobrev in early 2020, according to E! News. They made their relationship Instagram official in May 2020 when the actor posted about the haircut she gave her beau and wrote, "Adding to resume: hairdresser." 

Dobrev and White's Instagram accounts suggest that their relationship, which blossomed during the pandemic, is still going strong. The couple love sharing snaps of all their fun outings and adventures, which range from skateboarding to curling. White also posted pictures of the pair celebrating Dobrev's birthday, joking, "Too bad we never have any fun together."

Paul Wesley played "good" vampire Stephen Salvatore, the original love interest of Elena Gilbert, in "The Vampire Diaries." Their epic romance ended in Season 4, but the brooding vampire wasn't single for long as he soon fell for fellow Mystic Falls vampire Caroline Forbes — another relationship that was anything but straightforward.

Like his "TVD" character, Wesley has had a complicated love life. After splitting "amicably" from "Pretty Little Liars" actor Torrey DeVitto in 2013 (via People), Wesley started dating his "TVD" co-star Phoebe Tonkin. Their on-off relationship lasted four years, but a source told E! News that the pair officially called it quits in 2017. The actor-turned-director wasn't on the market for long though. In February 2019, E! News revealed he secretly married his girlfriend of two years, Ines de Ramon. The news came after the couple were spotted sporting matching wedding bands.

You'd be forgiven for not recognizing the name Ines de Ramon straight away, though, because unlike Wesley's former partners, Ramon is not an actor. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ramon has a business degree and currently works in a managerial role at the Los Angeles-based luxury jewelry brand Anita Ko.

Wesley and Ramon prefer to keep their relationship under wraps but occasionally share thoughtful messages for each other on social media. "Happy birthday to the queen of the house," Wesley wrote to Ramon alongside a series of photos showing off the couple's low-key lifestyle with dog Greggy.

Candice Accola King was another mainstay on "The Vampire Diaries," appearing in all eight seasons of the series as Caroline Forbes-Salvatore. In "TVD," Caroline was often drawn to the wrong men — namely Damon in Season 1 and Klaus in Season 5. She finally gets her happy ending when she marries Stefan Salvatore in the final season, but is soon left heartbroken when he sacrifices himself to save Mystic Falls and everyone he loves.

Thankfully, Accola King has a much more stable love life in the real world than her on-screen counterpart, and she has been in a relationship with the musician Joe King for almost a decade. The "After We Collided" actor has her on-screen bestie and real-life pal Nina Dobrev to thank for introducing her to The Fray guitarist at a Super Bowl event in 2012. "I was too chicken to give him my number, so Nina did," Accola King told People. The pair had been dating for over a year when King proposed, and the couple married in New Orleans in 2014.

The couple, who now share two daughters, continue to celebrate their relationship and share supportive messages for each other on social media. "I have loved every year that I'm lucky enough to celebrate with you," King wrote on Instagram in May 2021. "I cannot wait to see how this next chapter of life presents itself to you, I'll always be on your sidelines cheering you on, no matter what you are up against."

Kat Graham, better known as witch Bonnie Bennett to "The Vampire Diaries" fans, is currently dating American director and cinematographer Darren Genet.

The couple, who sporadically post pictures together on social media, seem to have been dating since at least 2019 based on a snap Graham posted on Instagram for Thanksgiving that year. "Happy Thanksgiving from me and my favorite turkey," Graham wrote alongside a picture of the pair with their arms draped around each other. "So grateful for each and everyone of you." It's not clear how the couple got together, but Genet did work on four episodes of "TVD" between Season 5 and Season 8, along with an episode of "The Originals," so it's possible Graham and Genet's romance sparked up on set.

The Miami Beach native has earned two Television Academy Awards for his work, which includes "Muse," a capsule collection of short films that went to the Cannes Film Festival. The three-part series, which was directed by Genet, also stars Graham. "Kat and I were talking about the idea of inspiration: where it comes from, how relationships can inspire, and how that affects our work," Genet said in Filmmaker Magazine. "I instantly connected with the idea of finding inspiration and the more we talked about the project, the more visual it became." Graham and Genet also formed a production company called Frequency Films that aims to produce film and television content "across a variety of platforms," according to Genet's website. 

American actor Kayla Ewell is best known for playing Vicki Donovan on "The Vampire Diaries." In addition to "TVD," Ewell has acted in feature films, television movies, and even appeared in music videos — including the visual for the Sick Puppies song "Maybe." And that music video ended up changing her life.

"I was with my girlfriend at lunch and she was like, 'It's your birthday and you got a phone call out of the blue to do this music video? I think you should do it!'" Ewell recalled to People. This was more than just a great work opportunity for Ewell though, who joked that it was her "best birthday present ever" because it was where she met and starred opposite Tanner Novlan, her future husband.

After almost five years of dating, the "Roswell, New Mexico" actor organized a private sailboat ride in Santa Monica so he could pop the question to Ewell. "I told the captain over the phone, "We have to do it right away because the nerves are going!' He said, 'Why don't I take a picture of you in front of the sunset, so she went up and I got my sweater which had the ring in it,'" Novlan shared with People. Ewell accepted Novlan's romantic proposal, and the couple tied the knot in an elegant 1920's themed wedding. They welcomed their daughter Poppy Marie in 2019.

Matthew Davis joined the cast of "The Vampire Diaries" in Season 1, playing history teacher-turned-vampire hunter Alaric Saltzman. As the series progressed, Alaric became a surrogate father to Elena and Jeremy, making Davis an integral part of the main cast. Though Alaric's relationship history was turbulent (three of his partners died), Davis has a very romantic love story in real-life.

In 2018, Davis, of "Legally Blonde" fame, and his girlfriend, "Ozark" actor Kiley Casciano Davis, ran an errand they won't soon forget. "When you ask your lover if they want to get married while shopping in the produce section of Erewhon, and three hours later you're married on Christmas Eve Eve," the "TVD" actor posted on Instagram alongside pictures of the newlyweds showing off their wedding bands (via Daily Mail). "#AVeryMarriedChristmas" the actor wrote after he and Casciano Davis exchanged vows in a private ceremony earlier that day.

When Casciano Davis met her husband, she was still recovering from a serious car accident in 2017. "Her surgeon later told us that she was very lucky to survive at all," her brother Matt Casciano told WSB-TV Atlanta. Thankfully, Casciano Davis has since recovered and continued her acting career, appearing in "Cloak and Dagger" in 2018 and starring in "The Tomorrow War" with Chris Pratt in 2021. The couple welcomed daughter Ripley in March 2020.

Zach Roerig, aka Matt Donovan on "The Vampire Diaries," is busy being a full-time dad to daughter Fiona. In 2013, Roerig made headlines for seeking sole custody of the two-year-old which he gained when her mother, Alanna Turner, was jailed for "various crimes," according to the Daily Mail.

Roerig is currently a single dad, but was previously in a relationship with his "TVD" co-star Nathalie Kelley. In 2016, he started dating the Peruvian-born actor who joined the cast as antagonist Sybil in Season 7. In September 2017, the "Dynasty" actor gushed about her beau to Us Weekly, explaining how "helpful and supportive" Roerig was with her career.

It's not clear what drove these lovebirds apart, but it may have had something to do with Kelley not seeing wedding bells in her future. "I don't think my life is supposed to follow that kind of trajectory," she said to Us Weekly, shortly before her split with Roerig. However, she then married her new beau Jordan Burrows in 2018, so perhaps the timing just wasn't right for Roerig and Kelley.

Following their split, the "Dare Me" actor has continued to be a devoted dad to Fiona and shares updates of their adventures on social media. "I may be driving the boat, but I'm definitely not the captain," Roerig joked on Instagram alongside a picture of the pair out on a boat trip.

Joseph Morgan joined "The Vampire Diaries" as the centuries-old vampire-werewolf hybrid Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson in Season 2. Klaus arrived in town as the show's new antagonist and was determined to kill Elena so he could break his Hybrid Curse. After two-and-a-half seasons as a main character on "TVD," Morgan went on to lead the vampire spin-off series "The Originals," though he returned to Mystic Falls as a guest in subsequent seasons.

While there have been plenty of romances behind the scenes of "TVD," few have stood the test of time. Joseph Morgan is the exception to this, having met his wife Persia White on set in 2011. The "Girlfriends" alum had a recurring role as Bonnie Bennett's estranged mother, Abby Bennett Wilson, in Season 3, and while Morgan and White didn't have any scenes together, they obviously hit it off behind the screen. After three years of dating, the pair married on the beach in Jamaica in 2014. "It had a very rustic feel to it," White told People. "We tried to keep everything really intimate and beautiful and sort of going along with nature."

Alongside acting, Morgan made his directing debut with an episode of "The Originals," telling People he "couldn't have done it" without his wife's support. Morgan and White have also continued to work together, collaborating on short films "Juice Truck" and "Carousel."

Australian-born actor Phoebe Tonkin rose to fame on the Channel 10 fantasy television series "H2O: Just Add Water" from 2006 to 2010, alongside "The Vampire Diaries" alum Claire Holt. After "H2O" ended, it wasn't long before the actors were bagging television roles in America, with Tonkin joining the cast of "TVD" (and later "The Originals") as werewolf Hayley Marshall. After a brief fling with Klaus, Hayley had a complicated on-off relationship with his brother Elijah, but ultimately ditched him for werewolf Jackson Kenner.

Off the screen, Tonkin had a complicated on-off relationship of her own. She began dating her "TVD" co-star Paul Wesley in 2013 but the pair split for good in 2017. After spending some time "flying solo," as E! News put it, Tonkin began dating American musician and actor Alex Greenwald, who was previously engaged to actor Brie Larson.

Tonkin and Greenwald made their relationship Instagram-official in June 2020 by sharing a photo of themselves kissing with face masks on. However, the Phantom Planet frontman hinted at their relationship two months earlier when he posted a photo of the actor lying on his bed wearing his band shirt. "The new @phantomplanet shirt comes with the girl. Please, please buy a shirt, it's been 21 days. I need her out of my house," the singer wrote. Since announcing their relationship, the pair have kept their romance relatively under the radar.

Claire Holt played Klaus' sister, Rebekah Mikaelson, on "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals." Though she was a major antagonist in the third and fourth seasons of "TVD," Rebekah's character quickly evolves as she realizes her wish to be human and become a mother.

Holt clearly shares Rebekah's maternal side as the proud mother of two children whom she shares with her husband Andrew Joblon. The actor revealed she was dating the real-estate executive in July 2017 while they were enjoying an Italian getaway, according to People. Their whirlwind romance culminated in the announcement of their engagement in December 2017 and the pair married eight months later (per People). This was the second time down the aisle for Holt who was briefly married to producer Matthew Kaplan from 2016 to 2017.

The actor and her current hubby are blissfully happy and can't help but show off their adorable family on social media — they can even be seen wearing matching white outfits in one sweet Instagram post.

"It's not his birthday or our anniversary, it's just a random Wednesday, but I've been thinking a lot about what a damn good man my husband is and I think it deserves to be shared," Holt wrote in another IG caption. She added how proud and "certain" she is to have chosen someone "so loyal and consistent" to share her life with — so expect plenty more family snaps from this actor.

Chris Wood played Malakai "Kai" Parker in the sixth and eighth seasons of "The Vampire Diaries," and later appeared in two episodes of "Legacies." After "TVD," he joined the cast of "Supergirl" as Mon-El, and in 2017, E! News reported he'd been spotted out and about with series lead Melissa Benoist. After two years of dating, the couple tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony at a "private estate" in Ojai, as reported by E! News. A year later, they welcomed a son.

This is Wood's first trip down the aisle, but Benoist was previously married to her "Glee" co-star Blake Jenner. In 2019, Benoist shared an IGTV video detailing her experience as a survivor of intimate partner violence. "I hope that telling my story might prevent more stories like mine from happening," Benoist said as she concluded the video. Though she did not reveal the name of her former partner, Jenner posted a long message on Instagram where he accepted "full responsibility" for the abuse.

Alongside acting, Wood and Benoist are both passionate mental health advocates, and in 2017, the "Containment" actor launched the charity IDONTMIND. Soon after, he posted on Instagram to praise Benoist's continued strength: "Her heart has remained open and full despite the many difficulties she has faced ... I continue to be in awe of her."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

British-American actor and musician Michael Malarkey played Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John in the final four seasons of "The Vampire Diaries." On "TVD" Enzo's romance with Bonnie Bennett was cut short when he was killed by Stefan Salvatore, but in real life, Malarkey has been enjoying a years-long romance.

Malarkey married English actor Nadine Lewington in 2009, according to E! News. Lewington has appeared in British medical dramas "Casualty" and "Holby City," and eventually made the jump to US television with a supporting role in "Containment" alongside "TVD" actor Chris Wood.

Malarkey and Lewington tend to keep their relationship low-key, but to celebrate their anniversary in June 2021, the "TVD" actor shared a picture of the happy couple on Instagram with the caption "12 years strong." Though the couple are certainly solid, Malarkey revealed to E! News that he had some explaining to do to his wife after an entertaining incident with his "TVD" co-star Ian Somerhalder. "One thing I can tell you is he gave me a hickey this week in Vegas," he said after sharing that the pair had been "messing around" in a photo booth. "I tried to cover it up a little bit and it's just kind of a hard thing to explain," the actor added, revealing that he made Somerhalder record a video for Lewington to explain away the hickey.

Looks like it wasn't an issue for Lewington and Malarkey who are raising two sons, Marlon and Hugo.