Ian Somerhalder, the hot, popular “blood-drinking” actor, has been speculated about being gay. Well, is he?
In the movie “Rules of Attraction”, a 2002 black drama comedy film by Roger Avery, he had a kissing scene with actor James Van Der Beek who played Sean Bateman.
I’m not going to lie to you, it wasn’t easy. Because it’s mental, you play with mental games.”
Somerhalder on his role as a bisexual character in an interview with ETOnline
This gay rumor sparked when he got linked with his The Vampire Diaries co-actor, Paul Wesley, who referred to him as his “girlfriend”. The two are very close as they share the same love for emo music.
Ian Somerhalder, however, dated Nina Dobrev, who played Elena Gilbert in the same TV series. The couple dated off-screen from 2010-2013. This, however, didn’t stop the speculations about the actor’s sexuality from going around. Is there any truth to these rumors? Is Ian Somerhalder gay? Let’s find out.
VOTE: What is Ian Somerhalder’s Sexuality?
Ian Somerhalder’s Breakup
Opposite to the rumor spreading about Somerhalder being gay as the reason for his breakup with Nina Dobrev, it has been said that it was actually their age gap that caused the split. There’s a 10-year gap between the couple. Rumor has it that Ian wanted to settle down, while Nina still wanted to enjoy life as it is. The good news is they remained good friends after the breakup. Both found love outside the relationship, as well.
Years after the breakup, Somerhalder got engaged to actress Nikki Reed, who was known for her portrayal of vampire Rosalie Hale in “The Twilight Saga”. It was a whirlwind romance. The couple got married last April 2015, six months after they started dating.
Ian Somerhalder’s Marriage
Ian Somerhalder’s marriage with Nikki Reed is said to be getting stronger with their now 5-year-old daughter, Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder. Their daughter was born in July 2017.
According to People.com, Ian says moving to a farm with Nikki Reed was “magic” and that it showed him that “moments matter”. The actor also added that he doesn’t “plan on being on screen for a long time.”
The actress appears to be very supportive of Ian Somerhalder in every aspect. In an interview with The Drink with Kate Snow, the actor even shared that his wife, Nikki, saved him from a terrible business situation he got himself into. And because of that, he was never shy about expressing his gratitude to her.
Nik, you have worked tirelessly to hold the fort down while I’m gone and I don’t know how I can ever thank you enough. I’ve done over 100 flights in the last 18 months alone. It’s because of YOU I was able to build this company with my team so thank you. So, until I hit the road again early next year I promise I will: clean cat boxes, blanket the horse, feed the goats, chickens, cats, dogs, geckos and make sure every plant that feeds us has water so you can continue to be the biggest badass working mama in the world. You blow my mind how you do it all… Love, Ian”
Ian Somerhalder, on his IG account, December 14, 2022
Start of Something New
Somerhalder started his own company with his former co-star, Paul Wesley. They launched Brother’s Bond, their very own brand of bourbon whiskey. Talking about brotherhood, their friendship has been going for over a decade already. Their mutual love for bourbon gave birth to their very own whiskey brand. Thus the name of the brand.
Our friendship’s true bond strengthened while drinking bourbon, both on and off-screen for over a decade. Brother’s Bond is a nod to our on-screen characters, our shared love for great bourbon, and a reflection of the brotherhood we have formed over the years.”
the co-actors-turned-business partners
Is Ian Somerhalder Gay?
So to answer the question of whether Ian Somerhalder is gay — he definitely is not. Paul Wesley is cleared from being linked to him as they only shared a mutual love for both emo music and bourbon whiskey. Plus, Ian Somerhalder is very happily married. Cheers to that!