Ian Somerhalder has opened up about the financial crisis he faced after stepping away from Hollywood, revealing that he and his wife, Nikki Reed, once carried an eight-figure debt tied to a failed business. The former ‘The Vampire Diaries’ star said fraud and personal bank guarantees pushed them into a deep hole, but the couple sold major assets and worked together to rebuild their lives.
Ian Somerhalder’s debt after leaving Hollywood
Speaking to E! News, Somerhalder said he retired from acting seven years ago after a major financial setback changed his path. “I retired from acting seven years ago. I left an insanely lucrative career in television after a financial upheaval from building a business that I didn’t build properly,” he said. “And due to fraud, it put my wife and me into an eight-figure hole.”The actor said the trouble grew after he made eight figures in personal guarantees to a bank. “Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of,” he said. “But Nikki and I did it. You know, she really negotiated us out of this deal, but we sold houses, paintings, cars, watches, everything.”Somerhalder also reflected on the timing of the setback. “I mean, I should have been retiring off of one of the biggest TV shows in the world,” he added, referring to ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ which ran from 2009 to 2017.
Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed’s new life
Somerhalder, 47, and Reed, 37, married in April 2015. They share a daughter, Bodhi, 8, and a son born in June 2023. The couple moved to a farm outside Los Angeles a few years ago and have stayed away from their old Hollywood routine.The actor now focuses on business. 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 high-absorption powdered supplements.His advice for couples starting a business together is simple. “The ups and the downs in the journey are supposed to be fun,” he told E! News. “The grind is supposed to be fun.” He added, “Find the beauty in all of it.”In October 2024, he told People, “We’re building three companies at the same time, raising kids.” In January 2024, he told E! News, “I loved what I did for a really long time. I don’t miss any of it. I love making films, and I just did it for so long. We had an amazing run.”
