See Nina Dobrev's 5-Carat Diamond Engagement Ring from Shaun White Up Close
The 'Vampire Diaries’ alum and her Olympic snowboarder boyfriend shared their happy news on Instagram
Nina Dobrev is showing off her new bling!
The actress, 35, and her longtime boyfriend, Olympic snowboarder, Shaun White, 38, got engaged in New York City in late October, according to Vogue.
The proposal went down under an arch of white roses at the Golden Swan restaurant, where White presented Dobrev with a 5-carat diamond ring by Lorraine Schwartz. The sparkler is an oval-shaped solitaire diamond set on a yellow-gold band.
"I went into shock," Dobrev told the outlet of the surprise. "I just froze and stared at him." Later in the night, the couple's friends joined them at the restaurant, where they all celebrated with caviar and Champagne.
In order to pull off the proposal, White had his publicist send Dobrev a fake invitation for an intimate CFDA/Vogue dinner with Anna Wintour, according to Vogue. “He made the invite look so legitimate,” Dobrev said. When she arrived to the restaurant, the only people present were White and the photographer. “He said all the right things," Dobrev recalled to the outlet.
The couple revealed to Vogue that before White popped the question, he had to keep hiding the ring in various places to make sure Dobrev didn't find it. He first kept it in a safe, then he moved it into his sock drawer. He eventually put it in the tool shed. When he told Dobrev that was where it ended up, she was dumbfounded, but he told her he knew she would never look there.
White shared the happy news on Instagram with a series of photos and the caption: "She said YES."
Dobrev shared the same photos, captioning her post, "RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé."
Related: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White's Relationship Timeline
The two first met at an awards show in 2012, but it wasn't until 2019 that they were formally introduced. During the early days of quarantine, Dobrev and White were photographed riding their bicycles together in Malibu.
In April 2020, White and Dobrev decided to make their romance official on Instagram with a hilarious video that showed Dobrev attempting to wash her groceries. And while White's face wasn't visible in the demonstration, fans quickly pointed out the snowboarder's tattoo and freckled arms. Then, in late May, she posted a set of photos showing her giving White a quarantine haircut.
Throughout their relationship, they've regularly updated fans with sweet Instagram tributes, especially when it came to White's journey to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Dobrev proved to be the snowboarder's biggest fan during the lead-up to his final Olympic run.
"Nina's just been so supportive and so amazing through this whole process for me," White told PEOPLE in January 2022. "Through the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time in my life special."
Related: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White's Most Adorable Couple Photos
The Vampire Diaries gave fans a glimpse into their playful relationship when she posted a video montage of White’s 37th birthday festivities in September 2023.
The fun-filled clip — which was set to Robin Schulz’s “Sugar” — featured party games, dancing and a boating adventure. The five-time Olympian also used a sword to cut a cake, designed to look like a Panda Express takeout box.
“happy (belated) birthday sugar 🍭 how you get so fly???” she captioned the Instagram video, referring to the lyrics of “Sugar.” “Here’s to staying playful and staying young no matter how old we get…. 🫶🏼😘"
In January 2024, Dobrev revealed that White had coordinated a surprise trip to Disneyland for her 35th birthday. The actress shared an Instagram carousel of photos from the vacation, which showed her celebrating with her friends — a group that included Julianne Hough, Keleigh Sperry and Lauren Parkesian.
"I'm still in shock to be honest. Feeling incredibly lucky, celebrated, loved, grateful and appreciative of all the wonderful souls I am fortunate to surround myself with," Dobrev captioned the post. "When it comes to friends, I definitely hit the jackpot. Huge thank you to my love @shaunwhite for orchestrating the whole thing! You sneaky lil devil."