Zach Roerig and Arielle Kebbel explicitly stated that they were dating. This thrilling announcement comes close to eight years after the fan-favorite supernatural soap opera The Vampire Diaries ended. The couple revealed the wonderful news at a recent Walker Stalker Con in Georgia. Supporters who have followed them from their humble beginnings on the CW network, when their show first aired there between 2009 and 2017, were ecstatic!
Roerig, who played Matt Donovan all eight seasons, recalled how his budding relationship with Kebbel came to be. Kebbel played the role of Lexi Branson, a recurring character on the show. Their characters rarely met in front of the camera. What began in front of the camera has turned into off-screen chemistry that has become a relationship formed earlier this year.
Still, the announcement caught many by surprise. During the I Was Feeling Epic 3 convention on April 6, Roerig surprised Kebbel with a lavish bouquet of flowers. After this adorable move, the newly engaged pair was filmed sharing a brief kiss that went viral soon after with fans going wild.
To prove her love for Roerig, Kebbel left a flirty comment on a fan page about The Vampire Diaries. In reply to a stealthily recorded video, she commented with three bright red heart emojis. This brief but impactful exchange has only increased the anticipation for the central romance between them.
The romance is the latest turn in the increasingly popular trend of offscreen relationships between the cast of The Vampire Diaries. Before this, Roerig had a major off screen growth-spurt in a relationship with his Vampire Diaries co-star Candice Accola, showing the streak of chemistry that crosses realms.
Though often considered an open book, both actors are notoriously private around their personal lives. They tend to post sneak peeks into their love life on Tik Tok. In press interviews, Roerig has opened up about the significance The Vampire Diaries has had on his life, once saying,
“For me, not only has The Vampire Diaries been the longest job I’ve ever had, but it’s been a quarter of my life… We all started this show, almost all of us, in the midst of some sort of life turmoil, whatever it may have been. And somehow through these eight years we’ve patched ourselves up and are now ready to face the world again.”
This sentiment highlights the deep connections formed during their time on the series, not only among cast members but with fans.
In addition to their shared history on The Vampire Diaries, Roerig and Kebbel portrayed lovers in the Hallmark movie Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance earlier this year. Their affectionate on-screen rapport was perhaps the blueprint of their off-screen relationship.
Even so, fans are buzzing with excitement over this unexpected romance. The deep friendship and loyalty that Roerig and Kebbel share speak to the surprising bonds forged between fellow actors facing a tumultuous industry.
