Nina Dobrev has addressed the swirling Zac Efron romance rumors nearly one month after calling off her engagement to Shaun White.
The 36-year-old actress – whose split from the Olympic snowboarder came to light in early September – opened up about the recent romance speculation while talking to TMZ at LAX on Wednesday.
The Vampire Diaries alum first fueled romance rumors with the High School Musical alum last month when they were seen having a blast on an Italian getaway with pals.
Dobrev and Efron were then seen spending time together on a lavish yacht in Sardinia and also attended a crypto billionaire’s lavish nuptials in the South Of France.
At one point, the interviewer questioned the star if there was anything to the speculation which prompted her to laugh and shake her head.
She was then asked, ‘You’re just mates?’ to which Dobrev simply replied with, ‘Yeah.’
Nina Dobrev, 36, has addressed the swirling Zac Efron romance rumors nearly one month after calling off her engagement to Shaun White; seen in September in Toronto
The Vampire Diaries alum first fueled romance rumors with the High School Musical alum last month when they were seen having a blast on an Italian getaway with pals; Efron seen in 2024 in L.A.
Dobrev also expressed that she was doing ‘good’ following her public breakup with White.
‘You know what, I’m excited for the future and the only thing that is guaranteed is change,’ the actress added while flashing a small smile towards the camera.
Last month on September 11, it was revealed that Dobrev and White had called off their engagement and split after five years together.
Later that month, the beauty was seen having a blast during a trip to Italy with friends – with Efron also joining in on the fun.
She showcased her toned figure wearing a black swimsuit that had a large cutout on the front while soaking up the sun for a relaxing boat day on the water.
The actor flaunted her muscular physique as he jumped into the cool water and sported a pair of black swim trunks.
The pair were accompanied by other celebrity pals including Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford and Miles Teller.
Dobrev and Efron were also seen holding a conversation with each other while on board a lavish yacht at sunset.
Last month on September 11, it was revealed that Dobrev and White had called off their engagement and split after five years together; former couple seen in 2024 in South Africa
The pair were accompanied by other celebrity pals including Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford and Miles Teller
The actress wore a floral minidress while Efron donned a light blue button up as well as black trousers.
The duo were also guests at the wedding of a crypto billionaire which took place at the South of France last month in September.
However, a source told the Daily Mail: ‘Zac and Nina might be hanging out on a yacht, having fun, getting along but they aren’t dating, they aren’t looking to get together, so the rumors of something more just don’t currently exist.
‘Nina is looking to unwind and just have fun and deal with life post break up, but that doesn’t mean she is going to land in Zac’s arms.’
The insider continued, ‘Zac is a nice guy, and they are friendly and that is all that it is, don’t get your Dofron relationship nicknames out just yet.’
Dobrev and Efron’s recent outings together come less than a month after the actress’s split from White was revealed.
The former couple were first romantically linked back in 2020 – and a source opened up to People about the former couple’s separation.
‘The split was mutual and made with love and a deep respect for one another,’ the insider said, adding that the pair also remain supportive of each other.
The duo were also guests at the wedding of a crypto billionaire which took place at the South of France last month in September; Dobrev seen at the wedding with Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh
The insider continued, ‘Zac is a nice guy, and they are friendly and that is all that it is, don’t get your Dofron relationship nicknames out just yet’; seen in 2024 in L.A.
The two stars were last publicly seen together on August 31 as they held hands while out in Los Angeles.
A separate insider also talked to the Daily Mail and gave insight into Dobrev and White’s recent split – including their different focuses.
The source claimed, ‘Shaun is retired and has had his last Olympics, he was very ready for marriage and kids and all that comes from that.
‘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.’
The insider added, ‘Shaun has done some acting but has focused on being an entrepreneur after his snowboarding career finished up, and he was gearing up to be a father and wanting that life.
‘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.’
Last month on September 7, the actress attended the premiere of Eternity during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival without her five-carat diamond engagement ring.
In October of last year, she revealed White popped the question by writing: ‘RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé.’
The source claimed, ‘Shaun is retired and has had his last Olympics, he was very ready for marriage and kids and all that comes from that’
Photos showed the moment White dropped to one knee to ask for Dobrev’s hand in marriage with a five-carat ring by Lorraine Schwartz, as she cupped her mouth in shock
Meanwhile, White took to his social media to proudly declare: ‘She said YES!’
Photos showed the moment White dropped to one knee to ask for Dobrev’s hand in marriage with a five-carat ring by Lorraine Schwartz, as she cupped her mouth in shock.
Dobrev had also posted a cryptic TikTok video about ‘fixing’ a man just days before calling off her engagement to White.
The Vampire Diaries alum could be sitting and looking towards the camera while lip-syncing to audio.
‘How do you sleep at night knowing people don’t like you?’ a woman asked, to which the actress mouthed in response, ‘With no underwear, in case they wanna kiss my a**.’
Dobrev had also posted a cryptic TikTok video about ‘fixing’ a man just days before calling off her engagement to White
Then the question, ‘What’s your advice for women trying to fix their man?’ was heard and Dobrev once again lip-synced the answer.
‘Listen, Bob the Builder, he’s got 10 other women trying to fix him too, and you all look like a d**n construction crew.’
In the caption of the reel, the actress simply added emojis such as a construction worker, tractor and hammer.
While Dobrev did not directly address the status of her relationship with White in the video, some social media users jumped to the comment section to speculate that she could possibly have been referencing to their break up.
