{"id":2010161,"date":"2025-09-09T23:46:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2010161"},"modified":"2025-09-09T23:46:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T23:46:45","slug":"ian-somerhalder-says-he-was-the-biggest-delena-fan-ever-until-mean-vampire-diaries-fans-became-a-toxic-cancer-to-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/ian-somerhalder-says-he-was-the-biggest-delena-fan-ever-until-mean-vampire-diaries-fans-became-a-toxic-cancer-to-society\/","title":{"rendered":"Ian Somerhalder Says He Was the &#8216;Biggest Delena Fan Ever&#8217; Until &#8216;Mean&#8217; \u201cVampire Diaries\u201d Fans Became &#8216;a Toxic Cancer to Society&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Ian Somerhalder revealed he was the &#8220;biggest Delena fan ever&#8221; until he saw how &#8220;mean&#8221; the <em>Vampire Diaries<\/em> fans could be to each other online<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The actor discussed how the fandom became &#8220;a toxic cancer to society&#8221; in <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em> editor Samantha Highfill&#8217;s debut book, <em>I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While the actor said &#8220;it&#8217;s great to feel something about a show,&#8221; he believed &#8220;it&#8217;s not okay to hurt someone else as a result of your excitement or love for that thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/ian-somerhalder\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Ian Somerhalder;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Ian Somerhalder<\/a> has a bone to pick with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tv\/vampire-diaries-where-are-they-now\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Vampire Diaries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>The Vampire Diaries<\/em><\/a> fandom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The 46-year-old actor, who played Damon Salvatore on the CW teen drama, opened up about his feelings on how &#8220;mean&#8221; fans ruined the fun of the series&#8217; storytelling in <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em> editor Samantha Highfill&#8217;s debut book, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/i-was-feeling-epic-an-oral-history-of-the-vampire-diaries-samantha-highfill\/65346a967cd54a18\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Throughout the show&#8217;s eight-season run, between 2009 and 2017, fans gravitated to different relationships \u2014 colloquially known as &#8220;ships,&#8221; making fans &#8220;shippers&#8221; of couples they supported, like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/nina-dobrev\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Nina Dobrev;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Nina Dobrev<\/a>&#8216;s love triangle with brothers Damon (Somerhalder), known as &#8220;Delena,&#8221; or Stefan Salvatore (<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/paul-wesley\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Paul Wesley;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Paul Wesley<\/a>), known as &#8220;Stelena.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I was the biggest Delena fan ever until I realized that the fandom had the ability to turn on people and become really, really mean,&#8221; Somerhalder said in Highfill&#8217;s book.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal dialogue\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>AJ Pics \/ Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n<p> Nina Dobrev as Elena and Ian Somerhalder as Damon on &#8216;The Vampire Diaries&#8217;<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I was like, &#8216;Wait, whoa whoa, this is a fictional show with fictional characters, we can&#8217;t be mean to other people for real.&#8217; It did change my appreciation of fandom,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I don&#8217;t like people being mean to one another. It&#8217;s a toxic cancer to society.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Somerhalder said seeing how some fans treated each other \u2014 or, even those involved with the show \u2014 online made him feel &#8220;disgusted and frustrated by how dark the fandom could get.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While the actor said &#8220;it&#8217;s great to feel something about a show,&#8221; he believed &#8220;it&#8217;s not okay to hurt someone else as a result of your excitement or love for that thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We just wanted to tell a really deep, heartfelt story, so I learned a lot about society,&#8221; Somerhalder added. &#8220;It&#8217;s one of the reasons that I left the television business and became an entrepreneur.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One aspect of the show that drummed up fans was Somerhalder and Dobrev&#8217;s off-screen romance, dating between 2010 and 2013.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Chris FrawleyWBTV Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder at 'The Vampire Diaries' signing in the Warner Bros. booth at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2013\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"596\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Qp70HK5KncxjxcI47Fj3ew--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTc3MztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/074b8c945ca3ee02d7882b641124400c\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Chris FrawleyWBTV Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder at &#8216;The Vampire Diaries&#8217; signing in the Warner Bros. booth at San Diego Comic-Con on July 20, 2013<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>The Vampire Diaries<\/em> showrunner and co-creator Julie Plec called fan response to the pair&#8217;s relationship &#8220;really charming and sweet for a while because you were getting this energy of how much people cared and how passionate they were.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, Plec said it soon became obvious that fans were &#8220;mixing up real life with the fake life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Somerhalder called the idea of &#8220;shipping&#8221; characters \u2014 let alone actual humans \u2014 &#8220;a very dangerous thing&#8221; and compared it to having a strong preference for a sports team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;People are vehemently opposed to anything different than what they see in their mind,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;With the advent of social media, people can just spew exorbitant amounts of hatred into the universe just because they&#8217;re not happy with a storyline on a TV show.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Album \/ Alamy Stock Photo Nina Dobrev as Elena and Ian Somerhalder as Damon on 'The Vampire Diaries'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"380\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/fGFYR49XrFInh9ict6z61w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTg5MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/833c44ca207ef46a97cb7f4f5b2cd8a9\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>Album \/ Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n<p> Nina Dobrev as Elena and Ian Somerhalder as Damon on &#8216;The Vampire Diaries&#8217;<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Interestingly, Dobrev, 36, herself expressed reservations about potentially dating a costar when auditioning for the role of Elena. During the process, she said she read with &#8220;so many Stefans and Damons&#8221; \u2014 with one potential Damon being her then-boyfriend Rob Mayes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;There was a bunch of drama around that because I was dating Rob Mayes at the time, but they didn&#8217;t know that,&#8221; she revealed. &#8220;We were trying to keep it really secret because we were afraid\u00a0 that if they found out, they wouldn&#8217;t cast one or both of us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;So then it got awkward because I did get cast but he didn&#8217;t, and then we subsequently broke up, and then I ended up eventually, years later, dating the actual Damon,&#8221; she added with a laugh, referencing Somerhalder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:PEOPLE's free daily newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/i-was-feeling-epic-an-oral-history-of-the-vampire-diaries-samantha-highfill\/65346a967cd54a18\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History of The Vampire Diaries<\/em><\/a> is now available, wherever books are sold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/ian-somerhalder-says-toxic-vampire-diaries-fans-are-partly-why-he-left-tv-11806735\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:People;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sg.news.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Ian Somerhalder revealed he was the &#8220;biggest Delena fan ever&#8221; until he saw how &#8220;mean&#8221; the Vampire Diaries fans could be to each other online The actor discussed how the fandom became &#8220;a toxic cancer to society&#8221; in Entertainment Weekly editor Samantha Highfill&#8217;s debut book, I Was Feeling Epic: An Oral History [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2010162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[367439,367442,367437,367438,367441,367440],"class_list":["post-2010161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-damon","tag-delena","tag-ian-somerhalder","tag-nina-dobrev","tag-samantha-highfill","tag-the-vampire-diaries"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Ian-Somerhalder-Says-He-Was-the-Biggest-Delena-Fan-Ever.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2010161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2010162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2010161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2010161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2010161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}