Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder was in “eight-figure” debt after leaving the show

by

Although Ian Somerhalder starred in the popular show The Vampire Diaries for eight years, from 2009 to 2017, he reportedly faced a substantial debt – in the tens of millions of dollars – after his departure.

The actor was famous for playing Damon Salvatore, a vampire torn between his feelings for Elena (Nina Dobrev) and his complicated relationship with his brother, Stefan (Paul Wesley).

The Vampire Diaries was a massive hit, and because people loved watching it all at once, it spawned several spinoffs like Legacies and The Originals. Considering the show’s success, you might assume Ian Somerhalder would be financially secure. He’d also been in other popular shows, including Smallville, Lost, and V Wars, which further contributed to his profile.

After leaving The Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder faced significant financial difficulties. He and his wife lost a substantial amount of money through a bad investment and were also victims of fraud.

Ian Somerhalder was left in “an eight-figure hole” after he left The Vampire Diaries and retired from acting

So, I was watching an interview with Ian Somerhalder, and he was talking about how he and Nikki Reed dug themselves out of a really tough financial hole. Apparently, they made a bad investment, and to get back on their feet, they basically sold everything they owned – houses, art, cars, even watches! It’s crazy how much they had to liquidate to get out of debt.

— E! News (@enews) April 29, 2026

I was really surprised to hear Ian Somerhalder talking to E! News about what happened after The Vampire Diaries. He said he actually stopped acting about seven years ago, and it wasn’t a simple choice. Apparently, he tried his hand at building a business, but things went wrong financially. He explained that, combined with some fraud, it left him and his wife with a huge amount of debt – we’re talking eight figures! It’s crazy to think about, especially after how successful The Vampire Diaries was.

Back then, Somerhalder was running a clean energy company. He shared with fans in 2021 that while filming The Vampire Diaries, he’d personally guaranteed loans to help the business succeed. Unfortunately, the company went under because one of its customers committed fraud.

He credited his wife, Nikki Reid, with helping them eliminate a significant amount of debt – over eight figures, in fact. He explained that they managed to do it by selling off assets like houses, artwork, cars, and watches, with Nikki leading the negotiations.

Looking back, I totally messed up! I was on this huge TV show, and I really should have just enjoyed that and saved my money. Instead, I jumped into starting businesses that probably wouldn’t make me a dime. It was a risk, and honestly, it wasn’t a smart one.

Read More

2026-04-30 18:49