Former “Vampire Diaries” star Ian Somerhalder has revealed a staggering eight-figure debt incurred after a business venture failed due to fraud and personal guarantees. He and his wife, Nikki Reed, sold significant assets to weather the financial crisis. Somerhalder is now focusing on entrepreneurship, co-founding Brother’s Bond Bourbon and the Absorption Company, and embracing a new chapter away from Hollywood.
Ian Somerhalder has spoken candidly about the financial crisis he faced after his departure from Hollywood, revealing that he and wife Nikki Reed once carried eight-figure debt linked to failed businesses.
The former “The Vampire Diaries” star said fraud and personal bank guarantees drove them into a deep hole, but the couple sold significant assets and worked together to rebuild their lives.
Ian Somerhalder’s debts after leaving Hollywood
Talk to E! News, Somerhalder said he retired from acting seven years ago after suffering a major financial setback that changed his trajectory. “I retired from acting seven years ago. I left an insanely lucrative career in television after financial turmoil from building a business I didn’t build right,” he said.
“And because of the fraud, he put me and my wife in an eight-figure hole.”The actor said the problem worsened after he provided eight-figure personal guarantees to a bank. “Eight figures are a difficult hole to get out of,” he said. “But Nicky and I did it. You know, she actually negotiated us out of that deal, but we sold houses and paintings and cars and watches and everything.”Somerhalder also spoke about the timing of the setback. “I mean, I should have retired from one of the biggest TV shows in the world,” he added, referring to “The Vampire Diaries,” which ran from 2009 to 2017.
The new lives of Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed
Somerhalder, 47, and Reid, 37, married in April 2015. They have a daughter named Bodhi, 8, and a son born in June 2023. The couple moved to a ranch outside Los Angeles a few years ago and got away from the old Hollywood routine.The actor is now focusing on work. He co-founded Brother’s Bond Bourbon with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley. He and Reed also co-founded The Absorption Company, which sells highly absorbable powdered nutritional supplements.His advice to couples starting a business together is simple. He told E! “The ups and downs of the ride are supposed to be fun.” news. “Grinding is supposed to be fun.” “Find the beauty in all of it,” he added.In October 2024, he told People magazine: “We’re building three companies at the same time, and raising kids.” In January 2024, he told E! News, “I’ve loved what I’ve done for a really long time. I don’t miss any of it. I love making movies, and I’ve done it for a long time. We’ve had an amazing career.”
