Shaun White & Nina Dobrev Are Engaged After 5 Years Together
Dobrev “went into shock” when he popped the question.
Shaun White and Nina Dobrev are not exactly the most traditional couple in Hollywood. As a professional snowboarder and an accomplished actor, the two might not make a lot of sense on paper, but that’s kind of why they work so well. A closer look at White and Dobrev’s relationship timeline reveals exactly why this couple is just so good together.
“They’re super compatible and both free-spirited people,” a source told Us Weekly in May 2020. “They’re very comfortable around each other and both supportive of one another in their fields.” So far their relationship has been punctuated by sweet moments of the duo going out of their way to show each other love. And it’s been pretty necessary, too.
With such busy schedules (including movie shoots, Olympic Trials, etc.), they’ve had to put in a lot of effort to make their relationship work. The good news? They’re masters of communication. “The problems that we do face, they kind of fall away through communication. It’s just been great,” White said of their relationship in January.
And it seems like it’s been pretty smooth sailing (snowboarding?) since they first connected in 2019. So let’s take a trip down memory lane and discuss the highlights of White and Dobrev’s relationship — plus, their October 2024 engagement.
2019: They Met For The First Time
White and Dobrev don’t exactly run in the same circles (or slopes), but they wound up meeting one another during an event for motivational speaker Tony Robbins. At the time, however, White had no idea who Dobrev was — and he was oblivious of her fanbase, too.
According to White, after the event, the duo went out to dinner together, and his ego was instantly checked. He told People that he thought Dobrev used his gold medalist status to get them a table at a restaurant, not realizing that The Vampire Diaries star needed zero help from him.
However, he was instantly put in place when a waiter asked, "Can we get a photo ... with her?” He recalled, "And I was like, 'What's happening? What's going on?' It was actually really funny."
2020: They Made Long Distance Work
The details about when the duo officially got together are a little murky, but the start of their relationship was very travel-focused because it had to be. In February 2020, White actually flew to see Dobrev while she was shooting a movie in South Africa, and that’s when their relationship started getting “serious.”
White explained that stage of their romance, “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.” And their busy schedules and travel demands haven’t really slowed down since, so they’ve had to think of ways to make it work.
In Oct. 2021, White told Us, “We have a nice little system of how to stay in touch. Plane tickets are pretty much booked for any opportunity that we can go see one another. So, I know during the holiday break, we’re going to meet up, and we’re going to meet up again probably around Christmas time. Anything that happens in between, then I’ll jet over and see her. You just make it work.”
April 2020: They Moved In Together
Their relationship started progressing pretty quickly, and they decided to move in together during lockdown and spent their time on some home renovation projects. White told People, “We went to the hardware store bought a bunch of paint, and brushes and definitely got in over our heads, but it was really fun.”
“Nina's just been so supportive and so amazing through this whole process for me,” he added. “Through the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time in my life special.”
May 2020: They Became IG Official
One month after moving in together, Dobrev and White took to Instagram to confirm their relationship. Dobrev shared a cheeky photo of the two of them with the caption, “Adding to resume: hairdresser ✂️.” And yes, she was given the responsibility of cutting White’s famous red hair.
2021: They Celebrated 1 Year
Again, we don’t know exactly when White and Dobrev started seeing each other, but in June 2021, White did reveal how they celebrated their first anniversary. And apparently, things didn’t really go to plan.
“I wanted to recreate our first date, but everything was closed,” he said. Still, he didn’t give up. “I managed to sweet talk the owner of the place to open up for us. It was actually pretty fun to have a place all to ourselves.” So sweet!
January 2022: Nina Congratulated Shaun On His 5th Olympics
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Jan. 15, Dobrev congratulated White on qualifying for his fifth Olympic Games. “LFG! Beijing babbbbbbbyyy @shaunwhite. So proud of you. Time to celebrate,” she wrote, per Us.
She also gushed about her boyfriend during an interview with E!'s Daily Pop on Jan. 25, “I am really excited for him. Just to get into the Olympics at all is one of the hugest accomplishments, let alone to get in five times. I'm so excited. I'm so proud of him.”
October 2024: They Got Engaged
White and Dobrev announced their engagement on Oct. 30, giving Vogue all the details on the proposal. Apparently, White had tried proposing to Dobrev a couple different times, but something always got in the way.
In late October, they got engaged at The Golden Swan restaurant in New York City. “I went into shock. I just froze and stared at him,” Dobrev told Vogue. “He said all the right things.”
Both Dobrev and White shared their exciting update on Instagram. “RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé 💍♾️,” Dobrev wrote alongside photos of the proposal.
White captioned his post, “She said YES 💍♾️.”
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