APPLETON, Wis. — Arielle Kebbel and Zach Roerig, former co-stars on the CW's long-running supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries, have ended their romantic relationship less than a year after going public with it. The split was confirmed by Kebbel during a recent appearance on the podcast Off the Vine hosted by Kaitlyn Bristowe, where she opened up about the emotional challenges of the breakup and the personal growth she's experienced in its aftermath.
Kebbel, 41, who portrayed the vampire Lexi Branson on the series, shared her thoughts on the Feb. 19 episode of the podcast. "I’ve had this conversation with many girlfriends going through either a breakup or a divorce," she said. "And some is ‘I’m sorry’ because there is so much love and grief there, and others are ‘congratulations’ because it’s the hardest best thing you could do for yourself. So, I actually do understand both." The actress described the end of her relationship with Roerig, also 41 and known for playing Matt Donovan, as "one of the hardest things" she’s ever been through.
The couple first confirmed their romance in April 2023, when Roerig, a veteran of the soap opera As the World Turns, surprised Kebbel with a bouquet of flowers at a fan meet-and-greet event. Their connection, rooted in shared experiences on the set of The Vampire Diaries, which aired from 2009 to 2017, seemed like a natural extension of the show's tight-knit ensemble. However, Kebbel revealed that the breakup has prompted deep self-reflection. "What it has taught me now is the gratitude of what I’ve learned and also, ‘What do I need to explore to really change patterns for myself in the future for my heart, for my soul, for what I want moving forward?’" she explained on the podcast.
Turning 40 appears to have been a pivotal moment for Kebbel, marking a shift toward greater authenticity. "I lived so much of my life with so much responsibility, I had to—for a second—do all the things I was too afraid to do or just too controlled to do before," she said. "All of a sudden, I turned 40 and was, like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in me but there is a deep hole to truth that I can’t deny and I also can’t play pretend with anymore.’" She added that this newfound honesty was something she couldn't have articulated six months earlier, describing it as an "evolving thing."
Kebbel and Roerig's relationship is just one chapter in the real-life romances that blossomed among the The Vampire Diaries cast. The show, based on L.J. Smith's book series and set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, followed the love triangle between vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore and the human-turned-vampire Elena Gilbert. It became a cultural phenomenon, blending teen drama with supernatural elements and spawning a spinoff, The Originals.
Behind the scenes, casting for the series was an intense process. According to co-creator Julie Plec, the network initially eyed Ashlee Simpson for the lead role of Elena, but ultimately cast Nina Dobrev after discovering her talent. "Half of Hollywood, I think, went out for the role, for all our roles," Dobrev later told E! News. "I guess I did something right. Here I am." Ashley Tisdale, fresh from High School Musical, was also offered the part but declined to star in the short-lived CW series Hellcats.
Dobrev's path to the role wasn't smooth. Plec recounted to Entertainment Weekly that Dobrev's first audition left little impression because she was ill that day. "None of us remembered seeing her for the first time," Plec said. "And then she, through her agents and the casting directors, said, 'Hey, listen—I was sick that day, I didn't do my best work, I really really want this part.' [She] put herself on tape, which then got sent to us and it was so magical and so perfect that she basically had the job from that minute forward." Fans of the books were initially upset that Dobrev didn't match Elena's described blonde hair and blue eyes, leading to several adaptations from the source material, such as changing Elena's sibling from a young sister to a troubled brother, Jeremy, played by Steven R. McQueen.
Finding the Salvatore brothers proved equally challenging. Plec noted that Dobrev did chemistry reads with multiple actors, including Zach Roerig himself, who ultimately landed the role of Matt Donovan. Other contenders included Michael Trevino (later Tyler Lockwood), Nathaniel Buzolic (Kol Mikaelson), and David Gallagher from 7th Heaven. Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder were late additions to the process. "Paul and Ian kind of came in late in the process," Plec said. "Paul auditioned like 15 times, and Ian kind of appeared out of the blue." Dobrev recalled Wesley, who first read for Damon, as standing out for not trying too hard: "The only one who wasn't trying too hard, that didn't speak to me at any point unless we were filming, was Paul Wesley," she told EW.
Somerhalder nearly joined a rival vampire series. The Lost alum auditioned for Jason Stackhouse on HBO's True Blood but didn't convince creator Alan Ball, with the role going to Ryan Kwanten. "I auditioned for True Blood. I just couldn't convince Alan Ball that was my role," Somerhalder said during a Q&A. He later revealed on Watch What Happens Live that a competitor tried to psych him out during auditions, but he persevered. As for the rival actor's identity, Somerhalder quipped, "You may know. I honestly don't remember his name."
The show's production wasn't without off-screen drama. On Sept. 10, 2009, the day the series premiered, Dobrev and co-stars Sara Canning, Candice Accola (now King), Kayla Ewell, and photographer Tyler Shields were detained by the Monroe County Sheriff's Department in Georgia on disorderly conduct charges. According to reports, they were allegedly distracting motorists during a photo shoot on a freeway. The group cooperated, paid a fine, and were released.
Romantic entanglements on set were common. Wesley dated Phoebe Tonkin after his divorce from Torrey DeVitto, who played Meredith Fell. Accola and Roerig shared a two-year relationship following her brief romance with McQueen. Joseph Morgan and Persia White, who joined in season three, married in July 2014. The most high-profile pairing was between Somerhalder and Dobrev, who dated for three years until 2013, just as their characters Damon and Elena coupled up on screen. At the 2014 People's Choice Awards, where they won for Best Chemistry, Dobrev joked about the split: "It's a good thing it's not awkward...Well, it's a good thing we have chemistry!" Somerhalder added, "And yet our characters are still dating on the show."
Despite their on-screen chemistry as Stefan and Elena, Wesley and Dobrev clashed initially. "I respected Paul Wesley; I didn't like Paul Wesley," Dobrev admitted on the 2019 Directionally Challenged podcast. "I remember everyone would walk up to me after the show aired and they'd be like, 'Are you and Paul dating in real life?' because everyone thought that we had such good chemistry. I realize now that there's a fine line between love and hate and we despised each other so much that it read as love." They later became close friends, with Dobrev noting, "Of everyone, I think I probably see him the most and hang out with him the most [now]. We're probably the closest."
Trivia from the show highlights its creative inspirations. Co-creator Kevin Williamson, a Taylor Swift fan, envisioned the singer as Lexi Branson, Kebbel's character and Stefan's best friend. "Wouldn't she make an amazing Kirsten Dunst circa Interview with the Vampire-type?" Williamson told E! News. "Oh my god, I cannot tell you how hard I'm trying to get her." Swift was deemed "too big" for the role. Plec dreamed of casting Joshua Jackson as the Original vampire Klaus, a part that went to Joseph Morgan and launched The Originals. "I have my Joshua Jackson fantasy: Pacey in Mystic Falls," Plec joked. Producers also approached Sarah Michelle Gellar for the role of Rose, a vampire linked to Damon, but she declined; Lauren Cohan took the part instead.
Dobrev's 2017 departure after six seasons shocked fans. "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime," she wrote on Instagram. Plec called it "bittersweet and beautiful," adding, "We will miss Nina and the four hundred characters she played." The series concluded in 2017 with Stefan's sacrifice, allowing Damon to live humanly with Elena. Williamson, a fan of Stefan-Elena, admitted to Entertainment Weekly, "It's no secret I was always a fan of Stefan and Elena ending up together. In another universe, that would've been the ending." The finale reused Damon's pilot line for a poignant close, though an earlier draft had him saying, "Oh, I see they have hero hair in heaven," before hugging his brother.
As Kebbel navigates her post-breakup life, the enduring legacy of The Vampire Diaries continues to connect its stars. Roerig has not publicly commented on the split, but the couple's shared history on a show that defined much of their careers underscores the blurred lines between fiction and reality in Hollywood. Fans, ever nostalgic for Mystic Falls, may see more from these actors as they pursue new projects, with Kebbel's reflections signaling a chapter of reinvention.