Ever since leaving The Vampire Diaries in 2015, Nina Dobrev has kept herself busy with streaming movies and shows, like being part of the cast of Netflix’s Love Hard and the platform's The Outlaws. As for the Canadian actress’s personal life, her engagement to Olympic gold medalist Shaun White came to a halt when the two split up in September 2025. After vacation photos with her and single man Zac Efron went viral, an insider drops claims of what’s allegedly going on between the two.
Recently, Zac Efron and Nina Dobrev were shown to be spending a lot of vacation time together. According to US Magazine, photos surfaced of the A-listers attending Brad Garlinghouse's wedding in September. Then last week, Deuxmoi shared photos of the two being all smiles with each other on a yacht. On September 18, the Daily Mail published pics of the two stars swimming off the Italian coastline.
If you’re curious what’s actually happening between the pair, an insider dropped claims to the publication on what’s reportedly going on:
Nina and Zac are not dating and have been good friends for over a decade. Their friends always joke that they should date, but that is not what is going on. They have been there for each other through many phases of life and have always had each other’s back.
It’s nice to know that the two allegedly have a good friendship going on. As these photos have circulated not long after Nina Dobrev and Shaun White’s split, it could be that the Vampire Diaries alum is reportedly looking for a good time with fun friends.
One thing the viral photos have in common is that the duo wasn't always posing alone. They've been featured alongside their friends Chase Crawford, as well as Keleigh and Miles Teller, while on these vacations. The same insider said that the Bulgarian-born actress has allegedly “been leaning on her family and friends recently” since her five-year relationship with Shaun White ended.
The source continued to talk about how these vacations with friends have reportedly been affecting the talented star post-breakup:
[She] has truly felt a lot of love and support. Everyone has been lifting her spirits and she has been in a better place after taking some time away following her split from Shaun.
As a source told US on September 15th about how allegedly “devastated” Nina Dobrev was that things didn’t work out between her and her fiancée, it’s nice to know she’s got people “lifting her spirits” as the allegations say. With on-location outings and laughter to follow, this is definitely the medicine you need after a breakup.
So far, nothing has been confirmed or denied by Nina Dobrev or Zac Efron on whether or not they’re an item.
Lately, Zac Efron has been living the bachelor style. His most recent relationship was when he dated Vanessa Valladares in 2020. However, the two broke up a year later, and he’s been single ever since. While it seems like the High School Musical actor has been focusing on his film career with his upcoming A24 movie Famous and filming for his comedy flick Judgment Day, hopefully love will find its way to Efron’s heart soon.
Sources claim that despite the sweet vacation photos of the two, Nina Dobrev and Zac Efron are allegedly just friends. As the actress is reportedly seeking out feel-good moments with friends after her engagement breakup, I’m glad the People’s Choice Award winner is surrounding herself with good company.
