Nina Dobrev and Shaun White's Relationship Timeline

Since meeting in 2019, the couple has weathered long distance, Olympic training, and engagement rumors.

Since going on their first date the night they met in 2019, Nina Dobrev and Shaun White’s relationship has been full steam ahead. While the pairing seemed unlikely at first  – White admits he “didn’t know anything” about his girlfriend’s Vampire Diaries history the first time they grabbed dinner – their whirlwind romance quickly got serious.

Eagle-eyed fans began speculating when they noticed the Love Hard actress and the Olympian posting separate photos from the same locations during a South African safari in February 2020. And quarantining together during the pandemic (complete with home haircuts and DIY home projects) only strengthened the couple’s relationship, with the athlete calling the actress a “lifesaver.” Since then, Dobrev and White have shared countless tongue-in-cheek social media posts poking fun at each other, slayed the red carpet as a couple, and shown up to support each other all around the world, from international film sets to snowboarding destinations.

Here’s a look back at Nina Dobrev and Shaun White’s relationship timeline:

2019: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White are introduced at a Florida seminar held by a motivational speaker.

When Dobrev and White first met at an event put on by Tony Robbins, the athlete admits that he didn’t know who the actress was. In an August 2023 interview with Access Hollywood, he admitted that he gave Dobrev tips on building her social media without knowing how many millions of followers she had.

Another humbling moment was when they decided to grab a bite to eat after their presentations. When the restaurant’s staff came over to their table, White told People in a January 2022 interview he assumed they wanted a photo with him – and quickly had his ego checked.

"Can we get a photo with her?" White says one of the waiters asked him. "And I was like, 'What's happening? What's going on?' It was actually really funny."

February 2020: White and Dobrev go on safari in South Africa.

Social media sleuths began speculating that White and Dobrev were hanging out when they noticed the stars posting solo photos that appeared to be taken in the same locations in South Africa.

The Olympian later confirmed that Dobrev had been in South Africa filming Redeeming Love, and had asked him to come visit her.

“That was actually how we kind of started our relationship,” White told Us Weekly in a January 2022 interview. “I was like, ‘All right. Yeah. OK.’ And she [thought], ‘Oh, this guy, he came to play. He’s serious.’ So that’s a thing that we share together. We both enjoy traveling.”

March 2020: Dobrev and White are photographed taking a bike ride together.

The stars headed outside for an impromptu bike hangout in Malibu, complete with White’s dog.

April 2020: The actress includes White's arms in a quarantine challenge on Instagram amid reports they’re living together.

Pre-hard launch, Dobrev shared a hilarious video of herself washing her groceries in the sink, including a glimpse of a mystery man’s arms. Fans quickly picked up that it was the professional snowboarder.

May 2020: Dobrev and White go Instagram official with a quarantine hair pic.

The couple also took part in another quarantine tradition: at-home haircuts. In her first official Instagram photo of the couple together, Dobrev revealed she was adding “hairdresser” to her resume. Meanwhile, White shared a time-lapse video of the process on his social media.

September 2020: Dobrev pens a sarcastic Instagram post for White’s birthday.

The Fresh Vine Wine founder trolled her boyfriend on his 34th birthday, sharing an Instagram post with the caption: “To the most untalented, humorless, least athletic, least coordinated, least gifted, and least favorite person…happy birthday @shaunwhite. Hang in there. One day you will accomplish something. #dontgiveup.”

November - December 2020: The couple spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve together – and document it all on Instagram.

Dobrev and White were by each other’s side for the end-of-year holidays, sharing sweet social media posts for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve, including a sweet Polaroid of them wearing matching Santa hats.

They also went snowboarding together a few days before Christmas, and the athlete shared a short clip of him landing a challenging jump while Dobrev posed in the foreground.

While White is arguably the GOAT of the sport, the actress revealed that she’s been snowboarding since she was “8 or 9” years old in a January 2022 interview.

"I think [White] was more surprised when we went for the first time," she said on E! News’ Daily Pop. "He was expecting to wait for me and it was quite the opposite. I had already passed him by a landslide … I can keep up.”

January 2021: The athlete rings in his girlfriend’s 32nd birthday on Instagram with a carousel of playful pictures.

White paid homage to Dobrev on her birthday with some photos of them posing while dressed in ‘80s apres ski-inspired ‘fits. "Too bad we never have any fun together,” he quipped in the post’s caption.

February 2021: The couple have a snowy double date with Dobrev’s Vampire Diaries co-star.

Paul Wesley and his then-wife Ines de Ramon joined them on a snowboarding trip at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming.

February 14, 2021: White and Dobrev post Valentine’s Day homages that both include pictures of the actress licking his face.

The couple packed on the PDA in their Valentine’s Day posts for each other, with the snowboarder joking, “I never knew I was so lickable till we met.” The actress called out her “quarantini in crime” in her post, writing, “Happy we got ‘stuck together’ last year and stuck it out.”

June 2021: White opens up about the meaningful way they celebrated their first anniversary.

The Olympic gold medalist shared how tough it was to plan dates during the pandemic, telling Us Weekly that the couple relied on drive-in movies and distancing-friendly activities like snowboarding to get through those times. However, he made a special effort for their one-year anniversary.

"I wanted to recreate our first date, but everything was closed," he told the publication. "I managed to sweet-talk the owner of the place to open up for us. It was actually pretty fun to have a place all to ourselves."

October 2021: Dobrev opens up about doing DIY home projects with White during the pandemic.

In an interview with Architectural Digest, the Fam actress showed off her home and talked about painting the interior of her house with her boyfriend during quarantine.

"I always wanted to paint it white and for the first time I found myself having no excuse, and my boyfriend [White] and I painted the whole exterior of the house ourselves and it took forever," she shared, adding that while the couple was initially excited about the project, that faded after a few days. “But it turned out beautiful so I'm happy I did it," she added.

October 19, 2021: White shares how they make long distance work and praises his “incredible” SO.

As the world started to open up and White began preparing for his final Olympic games, he took a moment to gush over his girlfriend in an October 2021 interview.

“It’s been incredible, honestly…Nina’s incredible,” he told Us Weekly. “What an influence on my life. Not only does she run her own show, her own world, companies she’s involved in, things she’s producing, all this stuff going on. She holds me to this same high standard, which is so wonderful to have in a partner.”

He also shared details about how they “stay in touch” while doing long distance, saying “plane tickets are pretty much booked for any opportunity that we can go see each other.”

“You just make it work. … I think that’s the goal of it all and the key to it all is just making the time,” he added. “[Dobrev’s] super organized and on top of it, so I give it to her. She always finds a way to make it happen.”

September 2021: Dobrev keeps up her tradition of tongue-in-cheek posts for White's 35th birthday.

“The person in this photo is the funniest, most charming, sexiest, and hardest working person I know. The other person is my boyfriend,” she quipped alongside a Polaroid of the couple on a beach.

October 2021: They do a couples Halloween costume inspired by The Queen’s Gambit.

Adam DeVine also made a hilarious cameo in the Instagram carousel, which White captioned, “Your move, @anyataylorjoy.”

January 2022: Dobrev supports White at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix of Snowboard and Freeski at Mammoth Mountain.

The actress posted a funny Instagram boomerang of herself “having a meltdown” in the snow, i.e. transforming from her snowsuit into a red bikini, when White qualified for his fifth Olympics.

A few days later, she told E! News’ Daily Pop how “proud” and “excited” she was of her SO. "Just to get into the Olympics at all is one of the hugest accomplishments, let alone to get in five times,” she gushed.

February 2022: Dobrev celebrates the end of White’s Olympic journey.

"The end of one chapter means the beginning of an exciting new one with endless possibilities," she wrote in an Instagram post after the pro snowboarder placed fourth in his final Olympic halfpipe.

"You will forever be the G.O.A.T. of snowboarding,” she added. “Not to mention you are also the G.(B).O.A.T. = Greatest Boyfriend Of All Time.”

February 13, 2022: White and Dobrev fly to the Super Bowl.

When White got back from Beijing, he crossed seeing a Super Bowl game off his bucket list with Dobrev. The couple flew to Los Angeles to watch the LA Rams face off against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI.

March 2022: The Degrassi alum throws White a retirement party.

The theme included dressing up in wavy red wigs as a shout out to the athlete’s signature locks.

March 2022: The couple get into vacation mode to celebrate White’s retirement.

White and Dobrev took a relaxing beach getaway to Costa Rica, which included plenty of spa time at the Hacienda AltaGracia, according to the actress’s Instagram post.

April 2022: White jets to Greece to meet Dobrev, who’s filming The Bricklayer.

Dobrev, who was filming the action-thriller in Thessaloniki, Greece took a break to play tourist with White. The couple was photographed hanging out around the city, getting coffee with Dobrev’s parents, and even catching some sites in Athens, per E! News.

May 2022: White and Dobrev make their first red carpet appearance at a star-studded event.

The couple finally took their relationship to the red carpet with a glam debut at the Top Gun: Maverick premiere in London. The Tom Cruise-led film featured White’s friend, Miles Teller, and Dobrev’s ex, Glen Powell.

Dobrev looked elegant in a cream silk asymmetric dress with sexy cutouts from Givenchy’s Fall 2022 collection. She paired the elegant look with a tight bun, red lips, and oversized silver hoops. The Whitespace founder matched his date in a dapper ivory jacket paired with a black bowtie and black slacks.

May 26, 2022: White and Dobrev make another red carpet appearance at Cannes.

For Cannes, The Originals star chose another asymmetric look, but this time in crimson. Her daring Monot gown featured a sultry cut-out that spanned her midriff and neckline, as well as a one long-sleeve design featuring a built-in glove. An iridescent diamond choker, matching ear cuffs, earrings, and rings added shine to her stunning outfit, which she paired with sleek pin-straight hair and peach eyeshadow and lipstick. White went classic with a black tux.

June 2022: Dobrev and White go on vacation again, this time to the Maldives.

Cue the coconuts, cocktails, and flirty pics.

August 2022: The couple fly to Switzerland for the star-studded Omega Masters tournament.

Dobrev shared a carousel of her and White posing with George Clooney as well as photos of her with actors Paul Wesley, Glenn Powell, and Anthony Andersen. “Old friends, new friends, one hell of a good time,” she captioned the post.

September 2022: Another year, another cheeky birthday post from Dobrev for White's 36th birthday.

"I really picked a winner [and he really picked a booger]," the actress captioned the selfie, which showed the pair wearing hoodies and smiling at the camera. "Happy belated Birthday you weirdo. My weirdo."

October 2022: Dobrev was White’s “emotional support animal” during an impromptu SNL appearance.

When Top Gun: Maverick’s Miles Teller pulled White up on stage during his Saturday Night Live performance, Dobrev was backstage to document the moment. “I love being your emotional support animal,” she captioned a carousel, which included photos of her posing in animal print outfit with a matching hat.

October 30, 2022: Dobrev and White did a Stranger Things couples costume for Halloween and reenacted a scene from the Netflix series in a joint video.

The actress wore a Vecna-inspired outfit while the Olympian went as one of the villain’s victims, Max Mayfield.

April 2023: White shuts down rumors of an impending engagement to Dobrev.

Amidst speculation that the Olympian was getting ready to pop the question, White set the record straight during a Coachella event.

“We’re just enjoying our time together right now,” he told People, adding that he felt “no pressure” to propose.  "But I told her, I was like, 'Look, after the Olympics, I finally got my freedom to do whatever,” he said. “And let's just have fun and be together and support each other.' "

"But you never know. We'll see what happens," White added.

June 2023: White supports Dobrev at the premiere for her movie, The Out-Laws.

The actress sparkled at the event in a mirrored Khaite minidress with a draped waistline, long sleeves, and a boat neck. She styled her bangs and long locks straight, and accessorized with simple black pumps. White wore a black suit and a white shirt.

September 2023: The couple coordinates in matching Versace while walking the red carpet at the Albies.

Dobrev and White were all smiles posing together on the red carpet in their coordinating outfits. The People’s Choice Award winner’s sultry Versace gown featured a see-through lace bodice with a strappy neckline and a sheer black lace skirt. She parted her bangs in the middle and went glam with bold cat eyes and a red lip. White wore a double-breasted six button black suit and styled his hair in natural curls.

January 9, 2024: White surprises Dobrev with a 35th birthday trip to Disneyland.

Dobrev revealed her boyfriend pulled off a surprise trip to the Happiest Place on Earth with friends including besties like Julianne Hough, Keleigh Sperry, and Lauren Parkesian.

“I’m still in shock to be honest,” she admitted in an Instagram post. “Feeling incredibly lucky, celebrated, loved, grateful and appreciative of all the wonderful souls I am fortunate to surround myself with. When it comes to friends, I definitely hit the jackpot.”

She gave her boyfriend a special shout out at the end, writing, “Huge thank you to my love @shaunwhite for orchestrating the whole thing! You sneaky lil devil.”

January 18, 2024: The Bricklayer actress opens up about how the couple keep their relationship exciting.

In an interview with People, Dobrev shared that rotating who plans date night “keeps things sort of exciting and interesting and dedicates time for the two of us to spend together.”

“In general, I'm more of a planner in life. Yeah, I like a schedule and I like a plan for sure. I'm a Capricorn so that's very much part of my personality,” she shared. “But, we implemented something, I think, it's really cool. We do date night every week and we alternate [planning].”

The actress also said that she appreciates the effort that White makes to come visit her while filming now that he’s retired. “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 and so it was cool to have him support me and come out to where I was [during The Bricklayer],” she said.

March 2024: Dobrev and White walk the red carpet at Vanity Fair’s Oscars after-party.

The 35-year-old star was dressed head-to-toe in metallics at the star-studded event, shining in a silver sequin gown from Rabanne's Resort 2024 collection that featured a midriff cutout and a beaded neckline. Dobrev accessorized with a statement silver pearl choker, a silver sequined clutch, strappy metallic Jimmy Choo heels, and sultry round bangs. White looked dapper in a cream suit and bow tie paired with a white shirt and black pants.

April 2024: The couple attends Coachella together.

On April 15, White posted a carousel of images from his trip to the first weekend of Coachella with Dobrev, featuring their dog Maverick. The pair both wore head to toe white.

May 2024: Dobrev recovers from a dirt bike accident with White by her side.

After a scary dirt bike accident, Dobrev posted an Instagram photo of the before and after: before, she's perched on the bike under a sweeping blue sky; after, she's laid out on a stretcher in the hospital wearing a neck brace and knee brace. "I think it's safe to say my first time on a dirt bike will also be my last lol," she said.

Dobrev's recovery continued into June; on June 5, the Vampire Diaries actress shared that she had undergone knee surgery. The operation was a success.

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