PEOPLE confirmed on Sept. 11 that Shaun White and Nina Dobrev had broken up and called off their engagement.
New details are emerging about what led to the split between the 36-year-old actress and the 39-year-old Olympic gold medalist. Multiple sources tell PEOPLE that disagreements over marriage and starting a family played a central role in their decision to end the relationship.
At the time of the breakup, a source close to the pair said it was a “mutual decision, and wasn’t an easy one, but it was made with love and a deep respect for one another.”
“She is devastated. There was one reason: She wanted a family and wanted to get married – and he didn’t.”
However, conflicting accounts suggest the situation wasn’t straightforward.
Another insider insists both White and Dobrev “wanted marriage and kids” and that “it wasn’t just one-sided.” A friend adds: “They both wanted marriage and children and were making plans to have a life together.”
The actress is currently out of the country and being “supported by family” in the aftermath of the split, according to sources.
Representatives for both Dobrev and White haven’t responded to requests for comment.
Social Media Speculation
Following news of the split, fans began speculating about the reasons behind the breakup. A TikTok posted by the Vampire Diaries star gained major traction on social media.
In the video, Dobrev mouthed along to audio offering “advice for women trying to fix their man.” The audio said: “Listen, Bob the Builder, he’s got 10 other women trying to fix him too, and you all look like a damn construction crew.”
Some fans interpreted the video as a subtle dig at White. Among the top comments were observations that the video “makes sense now after the split news.”
Neither Dobrev nor White has directly addressed the breakup since news broke on Sept. 11.
The retired snowboarder did post on Instagram on Sept. 15, marking his first trip back to Beijing since the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was the first social media activity from either of them since the split news. White limited comments on the post, which fans also noticed.
Relationship Timeline
Dobrev and White were first romantically linked in 2020 but later revealed they started dating in late 2019.
White proposed to the actress in October at a New York City restaurant. A source told PEOPLE at the time: “Their friends knew it was coming and everyone is so happy for them.”
“After the proposal, they were calling and texting friends saying, ‘It can’t get better than this,’ and were just glowing.”
In the days leading up to the split, Dobrev supported Miles Teller at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of his new movie Eternity. Fans later noticed she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring during the Sept. 7 outing.
The couple’s engagement lasted less than a year before they decided to go their separate ways.
