Though it remains unclear what led to the break-up between engaged couple Shaun White and Nina Dobrev, it certainly didn’t seem to be whether or not they wanted to have children together.
The former couple, who first began dating in 2020, had been together for five years with White, 39, popping the question to The Vampire Diaries actress Dobrev, 36, in October 2024.
The split may have come as a shock to many as the couple were last seen out in public on August 31, as they held hands while running errands in Los Angeles.
However, on September 7, the actress attended the premiere of Eternity during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival without her five-carat diamond engagement ring.
She has also unpinned her engagement post on Instagram, which featured photos from the Olympic gold medalist’s romantic candlelit proposal.
Many had wondered what had led to the split and if it had to do with if they had disagreed about parenthood which many couples have encountered.
Though it remains unclear what led to the break-up between engaged couple Shaun White and Nina Dobrev, it certainly didn’t seem to be whether or not they wanted to have children together (the former couple are seen in London back in May 2022)
‘They both wanted a family. It wasn’t that one wanted it more than the other,’ an insider revealed to Us Weekly on Wednesday effective striking down the speculation that having children together was a potential sticking point between the two.
Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both Dobrev and White and have yet to hear back.
Meanwhile, a different source told the weekly that the actress ‘couldn’t wait to be married and to start a family with Shaun.’
This came just a week after it was revealed that the longtime couple called it quits, less than a year after announcing their engagement.
A source told People at the time the decision to part ways was not taken lightly.
‘The split was mutual and made with love and a deep respect for one another,’ the insider explained, noting that the two remain supportive of each other despite choosing different paths.
White and Dobrev often shared glimpses of their relationship with fans, from traveling the world together to supporting each other’s careers.
In January 2024, Dobrev revealed they like to ‘do date night every week’ and ‘alternate [planning]’.
The split may have come as a shock to many as the couple were last seen out in public on August 31, as they held hands while running errands in Los Angeles
‘They both wanted a family. It wasn’t that one wanted it more than the other,’ an insider revealed to Us Weekly on Wednesday effective striking down the speculation that having children together was a potential sticking point between the two (seen in Paris August 2024)
‘One week I’ll plan it and he won’t have any idea what we’re doing so it’s a surprise for him. And then the following week, he’ll plan and it’ll be a complete surprise for me. And we do that every single week,’ she gushed to People.
Dobrev explained that these special experiences ‘keeps things sort of exciting and interesting and dedicates time for the two of us to spend together’.
‘It’s interesting because during the Olympics and leading up to the Olympics, he was traveling all over the world, trying to get to the mountains and training,’ she noted.
‘So for a lot of our relationship, it was me traveling to where he had to be, except for during COVID when I was in between jobs.’
In October, she revealed White popped the question by writing: ‘RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé.’
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.
After accepting his proposal, they shared a sweet embrace, with Shaun lifting her off her feet.
Shaun White and Nina Dobrev have called it quits, less than a year after announcing their engagement
The former couple, who first began dating in 2020, had been together for five years. White, 39, popped the question to The Vampire Diaries actress Dobrev, 36, in October 2024
‘The split was mutual and made with love and a deep respect for one another,’ a source told People, noting that the two remain supportive of each other despite choosing different paths
On September 7, the actress attended the premiere of Eternity during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival without her five-carat diamond engagement ring
White went to extraordinary lengths to make the proposal happen.
After previous plans at proposing fell through, he decided to propose in late October at a restaurant called The Golden Swan in New York City.
In the weeks leading up to the proposal, he hid their engagement ring in multiple spots around their home, including the tool shed and sock drawer.
But Dobrev wasn’t feeling well in the days leading up to the proposal and decided to stay in to remain well for an upcoming trip to Africa.
Undeterred, White decided to continue with his proposal plans and arranged for his publicist to send Dobrev a fake invitation to an intimate dinner with Anna Wintour to get her to the restaurant he planned to propose at.
‘He made the invite look so legitimate,’ she told Vogue at the time.
The Vampire Diaries star even had a styling session done ahead of the event which she thought the magazine was covering, but instead was actually all organized by White.
But Dobrev was a few minutes late to the event, prompting some anxiety as she said Vogue events typically start right on time.
White and Dobrev often shared glimpses of their relationship with fans, from traveling the world together to supporting each other’s careers
In January 2024, Dobrev revealed they like to ‘do date night every week’
‘I was in a panic that Anna was waiting for me,’ she shared.
The restaurant was also completely quiet as she arrived – contributing to her concerns about being tardy.
Once she entered the restaurant, however, White and a photographer were the only people inside.
‘I went into shock. I just froze and stared at him,’ she said, before going into a state of joyful disbelief.
