The Vampire Diaries fans are mourning after its lead star Nina Dobrev announced Monday she will be leaving the hit CW series. Michael Trevino, who has been with the show since season one, is also departing, according to TVD co-creator Julie Plec.
On April 6, Dobrev shared via Instagram a photo of herself and Plec along with a rather lengthy caption, announcing her departure from the show after six seasons. "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime," the 26-year-old actress captioned the photo, which was taken during the Vampire Diaries cast and crew's recent weekend lake getaway in Georgia.
"There's more to come before we wrap this up, and I promise you'll get to hear all about my experiences over the next month as we approach the season finale," Dobrev added. In the hit supernatural drama, the actress played the role of protagonist Elena Gilbert, a girl who fell in love with two vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
The Vampire Diaries producer and writer Plec, who created the TV series with Kevin Williamson, said in a statement: "Saying goodbye to Nina is both bittersweet and beautiful...Nina is excited to spread her wings, get some rest, travel the world and also take it by storm, and we support her a thousand-fold."
The TVD showrunner also confirmed the departure of Trevino, who played Tyler Lockwood on the long-running series. In the statement released Monday, she shared that the actor "has been a beloved member of the Vampire Diaries family since day one."
"Even though he's also going to be out in the world exploring new opportunities, we look forward to finding creative ways to make sure he and his character...always remain a part of the show," Plec added.
Yet, despite the recent cast changes the show will continue after its sixth season wraps up in May. In a previous interview with Variety, the exec producer said she would still want to continue The Vampire Diaries if any of the leads were to leave: "I would because it's a challenge."
"For me, as we shed characters over the next couple of years, there's a challenge of keeping the storytelling fresh and exciting, and seeing if we can keep the audience excited and invested in the show because it takes a new spin and a new direction that's entertaining," Plec said.
The Vampire Diaries airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. on The CW.
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