Vampire Diaries’ Arielle Kebbel Confirms Zach Roerig Breakup

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Arielle Kebbel and Zach Roerig won’t be taking a trip to Mystic Falls together anytime soon. 

The actors, who played Lexi Branson and Matt Donovan on The Vampire Diaries, have broken up after less than a year together.

Arielle has confirmed she and her partner have broken up, telling Kaitlyn Bristowe she hasn’t been in a relationship for a while now. Whether people should feel sorry for her or celebrate the split really depends on how you look at it.

Arielle shared on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s podcast, Off the Vine, that she’s noticed a common pattern when talking to friends experiencing breakups or divorces. Some friends offer apologies, acknowledging the pain and lost love, while others offer congratulations, recognizing that ending the relationship can be the healthiest, though most difficult, thing to do. Arielle explained she understands and empathizes with both reactions.

Zach and Arielle, both 41 years old, publicly confirmed they were dating last April. The confirmation came after Zach, known for his role on As the World Turns, surprised Arielle, who starred in Aquamarine, with flowers at a fan event.

Arielle has revealed that her split from the actor known for “Boots” was incredibly difficult, one of the toughest experiences of her life.

She said she’s now truly grateful for everything she’s learned and is thinking about what she needs to do differently in the future to create the life she wants. She added that she’s never been able to be so honest with herself before.

And in this new chapter of her life, The Uninvited actress can fully pour into herself. 

For a long time, I felt a lot of pressure and had to be responsible. Then, I realized I needed to finally do the things I’d always been too scared or restricted to try. Turning 40 was a turning point – I suddenly felt a strong need to be honest with myself and stop pretending things were okay when they weren’t.

She admitted that she wouldn’t have been able to say this six months prior. She described it as something constantly changing, admitting she wasn’t even sure what ‘it’ was anymore, but definitely felt differently now.

If you’re looking for more Vampire Diaries nostalgia, keep reading for more secrets from the CW show.

Surprisingly, The CW originally envisioned The Vampire Diaries as a way to launch the career of Ashlee Simpson, Jessica Simpson’s younger sister. However, after discovering Nina Dobrev, they ultimately cast Ashlee in the reboot of Melrose Place instead.

According to popular stories, Ashley Tisdale was considered for the part of Elena after her time on High School Musical, but she chose to star in Hellcats instead. Unfortunately, Hellcats only lasted one season on The CW.

Nina recalled a huge number of actors auditioning for all the parts, telling TopMob News, ‘I must have done something right to get the role!’ She explained that the cast really got to know and develop their characters over time, learning more with each episode until they became truly remarkable.

Although Nina Dobrev became famous for playing multiple characters on the show – including Elena, Katherine Pierce, Amalia Giroux, and Tatia Petrova over six seasons – she didn’t make a great first impression at her initial audition. At the time, she was best known for her work on Degrassi.

Julie Plec shared a funny story about first meeting Nina: no one remembered seeing her during the initial auditions! Nina’s team explained she hadn’t been feeling well that day and really wanted the role, so she sent in a self-taped audition. It was so impressive that she essentially landed the job right then and there.

When Nina was cast as Elena in the show, many fans of the books were upset that she didn’t have the character’s traditional blonde hair and blue eyes.

The adaptation from the book to the screen also involved several character changes. Elena gained a troubled teenage brother named Jeremy (played by Steven R. McQueen) in place of her younger sister, Margaret. Her aunt’s name was changed from Judith to Jenna, and Matt’s last name went from Honeycutt to Donovan. The series also established that Matt and Vicki are siblings, and Caroline became one of Elena’s close friends instead of an adversary.

Once The Vampire Diaries cast their female lead, they still needed to find the two actors who would complete the show’s central love triangle – and that wasn’t a simple process.

As a huge fan, I always wondered how they found the perfect Stefan and Damon! Julie recently shared that it took a lot of screen tests. Apparently, Nina did chemistry reads with so many actors, trying to find the right fit. It was a real process to find those iconic pairings!

As a casting director, you wouldn’t believe who auditioned for roles on The Vampire Diaries! We saw so many talented guys, including Zach Roerig – who you’ll know as Matt Donovan – and Michael Trevino, who eventually became Tyler Lockwood. Nathanial Buzolic also came in, and he later joined us as Kol. One actor who really stood out was David Gallagher from 7th Heaven. Honestly, we loved him at first, but we worried his 7th Heaven image might be hard to shake. Luckily, after seeing his work in Super 8, I knew he’d be perfect as a werewolf, and brought him back on board!

And then, finally, they found their guys: Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder.

Julie explained that Paul and Ian joined the project relatively late. Paul actually auditioned many times – around fifteen, she said – and Ian seemed to come out of nowhere. Nina remembered Paul – who originally read for the role of Damon! – being different from the other actors during chemistry reads. She told EW that Paul was the only one who didn’t seem to be trying too hard to impress her and only spoke when they were filming. She found it amusing that his natural approach turned out to be exactly what they needed.

Before becoming famous for Lost, Ian Somerhalder actually tried out for the part of Jason Stackhouse on HBO’s True Blood. He didn’t get the role, but later became well-known for playing Damon on another series.

Ian Somerhalder auditioned for the role that eventually went to Ryan Kwanten in True Blood. He explained that he wasn’t able to persuade Alan Ball he was right for the part, and was disappointed when he didn’t get it. He admitted he couldn’t even bring himself to watch the show until recently.

Ian shared on Watch What Happens Live that a fellow actor tried to ruin his chances during auditions.

He remembered the final challenge of the show involved a contestant who tried to intimidate him, but he quickly asserted his authority, telling the guy he was in charge. Then, he went in and successfully completed the challenge.

When questioned about whether people knew his competitor, Ian said, “Some people might, but I’ve actually forgotten the guy’s name.”

On September 10, 2009, the same day the show first aired, news reports surfaced that Nina and her co-stars, Sara Canning, Candice Accola, and Kayla Ewell, were arrested in Georgia for disorderly conduct. They were allegedly causing distractions for drivers while doing a photoshoot on a highway, along with photographer Tyler Shields.

Okay, so everyone fully cooperated and paid the necessary fines, and thankfully, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department let them go. It’s always best to be compliant in those situations, and I’m glad it worked out for them.

Much like onscreen, love was blossoming on the set throughout its eight-season run.

Paul dated Phoebe Tonkin, who appeared on both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, for several years after his divorce from Torrey DeVitto (who played Meredith Fell in season three). Candice and Zach were together for two years, following Candice’s brief relationship with Steven.

Joseph Morgan and Persia White met and fell in love while working on the show, both starting in season three. They got married in July 2014.

And then, of course, there’s the biggest IRL TVD relationship…

Fans who loved the on-screen couple Delena were excited to learn that the actors playing them were also dating. However, their real-life romance ended in 2013 after three years – around the same time their characters, Damon and Elena, began a relationship on the show.

The ex-couple quickly put an end to any talk of a feud by playfully joking about their split when they accepted the 2014 People’s Choice Award for Best Chemistry.

During a joint statement about their breakup, Ian pointed out that their characters were still a couple on TV. Nina jokingly responded, “Luckily, it’s not weird… Actually, it’s good we still have great chemistry!”

And after Ian’s April 2015 wedding to Nikki Reed, Nina had nothing but kind words to say. 

Nina responded to a viewer on Watch What Happens Live who pointed out it was unusual that she remained friends with her ex-boyfriend and his current wife. She said she thought it was wonderful and questioned why people couldn’t all just get along.

Nina shared that despite playing a popular couple on TV during the first season, she and her co-star Paul actually didn’t get along for the first five months of filming.

In a 2019 podcast interview, she confessed that despite appearing to have great chemistry with Paul Wesley on screen, she didn’t actually like him. She explained that people constantly asked if they were dating because of their connection. Looking back, she understands that strong dislike can sometimes be mistaken for love, and they truly disliked each other intensely.

Nina and Paul eventually resolved their issues, and now consider each other close friends.

Things are good between us now, and we’ve actually become really close. I probably spend more time with him than anyone else. We hang out all the time, we’re great friends, and I really like his wife. It’s amazing how much our relationship has evolved.

Kevin, a big Taylor Swift fan, shared with TopMob News during the first season that he really wanted her to appear as a vampire in a project he was working on.

He raved about how perfect she’d be as a Kirsten Dunst-like character, reminiscent of her role in Interview with the Vampire. He was incredibly enthusiastic about casting her, saying he’d do anything to get her on the show.

He actually created the character of Lexi, Stefan’s best friend, with the actress Arielle Kebbel in mind, and she ultimately landed the role, becoming a favorite among fans.

But alas, Kevin admitted she was “too big” for the show. 

The show’s creators generally avoided casting actors based solely on their fame, but Julie really wanted Joshua Jackson – best known as Pacey Witter – to be part of the show.

The show’s success, she believes, comes from avoiding casting based on celebrity alone. However, she added that if a well-known actor they admire is available, they’d definitely consider them. She jokingly confessed her ideal casting choice would be Joshua Jackson, imagining his character from ‘Dawson’s Creek’ appearing in ‘The Vampire Diaries’.

He was originally considered for the part of Klaus, the original vampire – a role so important that over 200 actors tried out for it. Joseph Morgan eventually got the part and became a star, leading to the hit show The Originals. Had Joshua taken the role, it probably would have only lasted one season, as planned, but Joseph was so good that the show’s creators decided to keep his character around longer.

In a rare instance of bringing in a well-known actor, the creators of The Vampire Diaries approached Sarah Michelle Gellar, famous for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to play Rose, a vampire who formed a bond with Damon.

Kevin shared with The New York Post that they initially hoped to cast Sarah Michelle Gellar as Rose. While she was flattered by the offer, she ultimately declined. He explained that she was the only celebrity they would have considered for a special casting choice.

The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan nabbed the vampire part instead. 

Fans of The Vampire Diaries were accustomed to cast changes – characters often died and came back to life. However, Nina Dobrev’s announcement that she was leaving after season six came as a shock to many viewers.

In an Instagram post, the actor shared that they always envisioned Elena’s storyline spanning six seasons, and creating it was an incredible experience.

Julie released a statement expressing mixed emotions about Nina’s departure. She said they’ll miss Nina and all the roles she played, but are excited to keep telling stories about the Salvatore brothers and the rest of the talented cast. It will be a challenging but thrilling continuation for the show.

The series went on for two more seasons without Nina, who returned for the series finale. 

Back in season two, Kevin and Julie decided how their story would end while having lunch at a mall food court. Their ending likely would have upset fans of both the Delena and Stelena couples.

Julie explained to EW that she originally envisioned both brothers sacrificing themselves to save the female lead, and then remaining as ghostly figures watching over her as she moved on with her life. She imagined a future where the character might marry Matt Donovan or pursue a career as a doctor, with both brothers eternally side-by-side, observing her happiness.

As the show went on and the central romantic conflict evolved, who everyone thought would end up with whom changed dramatically. (Poor Matt!)

Following Nina’s departure and Stefan’s romance with Caroline, Julie and Kevin – the writers who came back to finish the series after leaving during season two – considered two different ways to end the show.

Julie told EW that they considered two different endings for the season. One would have wrapped up the current season nicely, while the other would have concluded the entire series. She revealed that they debated killing off Damon just as much as they did Stefan, and for a long time, they were leaning towards killing Damon instead.

In the end, Stefan made the ultimate sacrifice, allowing Damon to live a normal human life with Elena. Kevin, known for his work on the popular show Dawson’s Creek and its famous love triangle, later confessed he was conflicted about who Elena ultimately chose.

I always rooted for Stefan and Elena to be together,” confessed Kevin, who used to watch Dawson’s Creek and was invested in the Dawson-Joey-Pacey love triangle. “If things had worked out differently, they would have ended up together, but we couldn’t make that happen in the final season because the actress who played Elena wasn’t available. It just wasn’t possible to reunite them.

“Hello, brother.” 

As a longtime fan of storytelling, I always appreciate a beautifully circular ending, and The Vampire Diaries delivered just that! The very last line of the series – Damon’s first line from the pilot, spoken as he reunited with Stefan after his death – was incredibly moving. It really brought their relationship full circle. Interestingly, that final line wasn’t originally planned that way – the writers actually had something else in mind at first!

Kevin told Entertainment Weekly that the initial line was, ‘Oh, I see they have hero hair in heaven,’ and that the characters then embraced.

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2026-02-23 17:49