Nina Dobrev and Shaun White didn’t split over a disagreement about kids, a source close to the former couple exclusively tells Us Weekly, disputing rumors to the contrary.
“They both wanted a family,” the insider says. “It wasn’t that one wanted it more than the other.”
A separate source tells Us that Dobrev, 36, “couldn’t wait to be married and to start a family with Shaun.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Dobrev and White for comment.
Shaun White Makes 1st TV Appearance Since Split From Nina Dobrev
Despite their shared desire to become parents, news broke on Thursday, September 11, that Dobrev and White, 39, ended their engagement after dating for more than five years.
The pair sparked romance speculation in February 2020, when eagle-eyed fans noticed they posted similar photos from a trip to South Africa.
Us broke the news in April 2020 that the Vampire Diaries alum and White were officially a couple. One month later, they went public with their relationship.
White proposed to Dobrev in October 2024 in New York City. “Nina was totally surprised and they’re both wildly happy,” a source exclusively told Us at the time.
Two months later, the duo celebrated their “first Christmas as fiancées 
,” which Dobrev documented via Instagram.
The actress spent Christmas in Park City, Utah, with White and his family, according to the social media upload.
Nina Dobrev Ditched Engagement Ring 4 Days Before Shaun White Split News
Dobrev kicked off the new year with the Olympic gold medalist by her side — along with several of their friends — in California. “Thank you 2024, you really delivered. We had a ball 
#TwentyTwentyThrive,” she captioned a series of Instagram snaps in January, including multiple kisses with White at midnight.
Over the next few months, Dobrev and White jetted all over the world together, including Aspen in March, the Coachella Valley in Indio in April and Greece in early September.
The pair also attended multiple weddings, including Phoebe Tonkin and Bernard Lagrange’s nuptials in New York City in May and Vampire Diaries’ Michael Trevino and Bregje Heinen’s Spain ceremony in June.
Following their split, rumors surfaced that infidelity may have also played a role in their breakup. However, a source close to the couple exclusively told Us on Friday, September 12, that there “was no cheating at all during the course of their five-and-a-half-year relationship.”
Nina Dobrev Posted About Trying to ‘Fix’ a Man Before Shaun White Split
The insider claimed, “They were very loyal to each other.”
As the split continues to make headlines, speculation regarding the specifics continues and it all becomes more real for the former couple, a separate source told Us that Dobrev is “devastated.” The insider shared on Monday, September 15, that Dobrev and White had “finally started planning the wedding and things were in motion.”
While the breakup is “very fresh” for both of them, the source shared that Dobrev is being “supported by her closest girlfriends.”
