Why Nina Dobrev and Shaun White reportedly ended their five-year relationship

Nina Dobrev and Shaun White reportedly split because they just weren’t on the same page anymore.

Although their breakup seemingly came out of the blue, an insider told the Daily Mail on Thursday that it wasn’t all that surprising because they had been moving in different directions for a while.

Dobrev, 36, and White, 39, reportedly had different priorities: The pro snowboarder wanted to start a family while the actress was focused on her career.

10

10

“Shaun is retired and has had his last Olympics, he was very ready for marriage and kids and all that comes from that,” the insider explained, referencing the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, where he finished fourth in the men’s halfpipe event.

“Nina was on board but also very interested in seeing where her acting career was going to go, as that was and is very important to her,” they noted, adding that White was also focused on “being an entrepreneur after his snowboarding career finished up.”

“He was gearing up to be a father and wanting that life,” they continued. “As much as they had the same ideals and wanted to enjoy the same ride, they naturally couldn’t come together on a common goal and that was the strain on their relationship.”

10

10

The couple also reportedly had issues adjusting to the world after they began dating in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They fell in love [during the pandemic] and thrived but once they got out, like many relationships both in the celebrity world and in the real world, something changed,” the source said.

10

10

The “Vampire Diaries” actress and White reportedly got “stuck in their own ways.”

“Yes, there was love there, they had an incredible time with each other, but since they weren’t nurturing what they had and growing it into something more, the most logical thing to do was to break up before they ended up hating each other or entering into a loveless marriage,” the source added, noting that it “wasn’t getting better” and that “they are both to blame.”

“They were smart enough to get out now while they still are young and while they still can move on from each other without any baggage.”

10

10

On Thursday, news broke that the couple had split and ended their engagement after five years together.

“It was a mutual decision, and wasn’t an easy one, but it was made with love and a deep respect for one another,” a source close to the pair told People.

Following the news, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the “Perks of Being a Wallflower” actress had unpinned their engagement announcement on social media.

They also noticed she had ditched her engagement ring during an appearance at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.

10

10

However, it remains unclear when the split actually happened.

The couple confirmed their romance via social media in April 2020, a year after meeting at an event.

By 2022, the three-time Olympic gold medalist hinted at wanting to have kids with Dobrev when he shared that he would “love to be a dad.”

“It’s just something that seems so exciting, you know?” he told Us Weekly that January. “I love being around people, and I love the idea of having someone other than my own pursuits to look after.”

The two then made things official in 2024 when they announced their engagement after White popped the question in New York City.