It seems Nina Dobrev quietly put her engagement ring away just days before the world learned she and Shaun White called off their wedding plans. The news hit fans like a sudden snowstorm, even though some hints were already out there.
Dobrev, who is 36, stepped onto the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 7th. She was there for the premiere of Eternity. She looked amazing in a simple black A-line dress from SIR, rocking studded heels and a shiny silver clutch. But what caught everyone’s eye was what wasn’t there: the five-carat oval diamond ring. That’s the one White, 39, used to pop the question last year.
Later, Dobrev shared some glam shots from the event on her Instagram. She captioned them, "For eternity ✨ #TIFF." It felt a little ironic, given what came next.
Just a few days later, on Thursday, September 11th, a prominent news channel reported the big news. Us Weekly confirmed that Dobrev and White had gone their separate ways after five years together.
Neither the former Vampire Diaries star nor the Olympic athlete has spoken openly about their breakup. Before the news broke, they were last spotted out together on August 31st, enjoying a casual date at a farmer’s market. White even showed up in an Instagram post from Dobrev on Saturday, September 5th, just before she went to TIFF solo. She posted a cozy photo of them relaxing in bed, writing, "Summer doesn’t officially end until September 22 FYI 🌞."
That same day, Dobrev also dropped a rather cryptic video on TikTok. It seemed to joke about "fixing a man," leaving fans scratching their heads.
Nina Dobrev attends the ‘Eternity’ premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 7th. Robin Marchant/WireImage
In the TikTok, she mouthed words that went: "How do you sleep at night knowing people don’t like you? No underwear, just in case they want to kiss my butt." The audio then continued with a pointed message: "What’s your advice for women trying to fix their man? Listen, Bob the Builder, he has ten other women trying to fix him too, and they all look like a damn construction crew." Dobrev gave no further explanation for her post. She simply captioned the video with emojis of a construction worker, a truck, and a hammer.
Dobrev and White first started dating in 2020. They got engaged four years later, a happy milestone at the time. Dobrev shared the sweet, if slightly chaotic, story of the proposal with Vogue in October 2024. She remembered being completely "in shock" and "paralyzed," just staring at White. She even fainted during the big moment! "He said all the right things," she recalled. Eventually, they realized they hadn’t eaten anything except the caviar White had prepared. So, they ended up ordering Shake Shack and dumplings from Golden Swan to celebrate.
The couple often spoke highly of each other when things were good. White told Us Weekly in January 2022 that Dobrev was "so incredibly supportive" during his final Olympic journey. "She says, ‘Hey, I’m here to help you… how do I help you?’ It’s not about her," White shared. He added that she was "very generous" and liked to "lift up the people around her," calling it a "beautiful thing" and a "special" quality. White later retired after the 2022 Winter Olympics.