Inside Shaun White and Nina Dobrev’s relationship timeline as the couple splits after five years

Nina Dobrev and fiancé Shaun White have called it quits after a five-year relationship. According to PEOPLE, the pair said:

"It was a mutual decision, and wasn’t an easy one, but it was made with love and a deep respect for one another."

Over the years, the two were seen jetsetting across the world, attending major events, and supporting each other in different milestones. That's why, after being engaged for almost a year, the decision came as a surprise, though the couple hadn't been photographed together since August 31, 2025. Rumors started swirling when Nina Dobrev walked the red carpet of the Eternity premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival without her 5-carat diamond engagement ring

Here is a brief timeline of Nina Dobrev and Shawn White's relationship.

End of 2019

Shaun White and Nina Dobrev met at an event in Florida and grabbed a bite to eat together, after which they fell for each other quickly. White didn't know much about Dobrev, so when people approached her for photos, he was quite confused.

He admitted, "And I was like, 'What's happening? What's going on?' It was actually really funny,"

Shaun later told PEOPLE magazine, “We were flying all over. She’s an actress so she’s shooting movies, doing press and all these things, and I’m getting ready for competition, doing interviews and appearances.”

March 2020

Their romance began blossoming during the pandemic. The duo was spotted riding bikes in Malibu, washing groceries, and doing other COVID-19 activities that many people were doing.

A source told E! News at the time, “Nina and Shaun have been spending a lot of time together recently. Their relationship doesn’t have an official title right now, but that’s pretty normal for Nina.”

In May, Shaun White and Nina Dobrev went Instagram official by sharing a video of her cutting his hair in quarantine. Following that, the pair celebrated birthdays, Christmas, and more together, solidifying their relationship through 2021.

October 2021

In October 2021, White opened up about his relationship with the Vampire Diaries actress:

“It’s been incredible, honestly…Nina’s incredible. What an influence on my life. Not only does she run her own show, her own world, companies she’s involved in, things she’s producing, all this stuff going on. She holds me to this same high standard, which is so wonderful to have in a partner.”

Their relationship continued steadily as they celebrated milestones, red carpets, and festivals together, even sporting matching couples' outfits for Halloween.

July 2022

In July 2022, the Olympian shared how he has also taken on the role of being an instructor for Nina Dobrev.

“I’m teaching Nina how to surf currently. She’s so talented as a snowboarder, which is great, because I’ve been in past relationships when they couldn’t snowboard and I’m a terrible coach. I’m like, ‘You just do it!’ But now she’s got the surfing bug. She’s excited about it, so now we’re trying to find places we can go surf and vacation and hang.…She caught, like, seven waves in Hawaii and it was like she was feeling it, yeah!”

January 2023

2023 shaped up to be an important year for the couple. According to an insider, they were ready for the next step after being in a steady relationship for a few years:

“Nina and Shaun have been dating for a few years now, so they’ve definitely discussed making things official. They’ve talked about getting married, having kids, the whole nine yards."

This was followed up with Shaun expressing his own opinions at Coachella. He told PEOPLE magazine that he felt "no pressure" to propose anytime soon and that the two were enjoying their time together.

"We're just enjoying our time together right now. But I told her, I was like, 'Look, after the Olympics, I finally got my freedom to do whatever. And let's just have fun and be together and support each other.'"

October 2024

The news finally came when Shaun proposed to Nina Dobrev in October 2024. They posted stunning pictures on Instagram with a quirky caption from Dobrev:

"RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé 💍♾️"

While talking to Vogue, they revealed that Nina Dobrev thought she was going to a dinner with Anna Wintour. However, when they arrived at the Golden Swan restaurant in the West Village, Shaun surprised her with a gorgeous ring.

According to PEOPLE, the two have been spotted a few times since then, seeming blissfully engaged, until the split.