Shaun and Nina's Relationship Timeline: From Extreme Sports to Eternal Love
This love is pure gold! After 5 years together, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White proposed to actress Nina Dobrev. When describing the dreamy night, Shaun mentioned how he'd been planning the special moment for months but kept rearranging his plans to make sure it came as a total surprise.
The proposal happened on October 24th in a NYC restaurant, with Shaun arranging every last detail–including a fake invitation and styling session–to make Nina believe she was attending a work event. As she arrived and saw a lack of guests and an overflow of flowers around the room, with only her boyfriend standing in the middle, she knew exactly what was about to happen. After the big question, answered with an unfaltering 'yes', close friends arrived at the location to celebrate the couple. After the memorable night, they decided to keep the blissful news to themselves for a bit longer before they shared their nuptial joy with the rest of the world.
They finally shared the happy news on Instagram, with each of them posting snaps from the whimsical night. Now that we can finally join in on celebrating this milestone of their love, what better way to do so than by taking a quick walk down memory lane, starting with how it all started and continuing through their iconic couple moments?
December 2019
They met unexpectedly while attending an event hosted by Tony Robbins. They were both guest speakers, but Shaun admitted he wasn't aware of her fame. As they were trying to have dinner after their appearances, a funny misunderstanding became a "humbling" situation for Shaun. People neared their table, which he didn't see as unusual, as he often gets approached by fans. However, he recalls the shock after they clarified their intentions: "Can we get a photo ... with her? And I was like, 'What's happening? What's going on?' It was actually really funny."
February 2020
Nina was filming "Redeeming Love" in South Africa at the beginning of 2020. A few weeks later, she posted some seemingly ordinary pictures enjoying a safari tour, in which she appeared alone. However, Shaun also shared some snaps of his own around the same time, making people wonder about the evident connection. They later revealed she invited him to visit her on location.
March 2020
As the pandemic began its restrictions, the pair was spotted for the first time together riding bicycles in Malibu. Shaun sweetly held Nina's dog Maverick during the ride. With romance rumors starting to spark up, a source mentioned they had hung out several times before this first public appearance.
April 2020
After the 'biking while carrying your partner's dog' moment hinted at a possible romance, an Instagram post from Nina served as a funny way to soft launch Shaun into her timeline, with the couple doing a video about washing your groceries as a COVID precaution, with her talking and his arms around her mimicking as if it was hers', which fans identified quickly by his trademark freckles and tattoos. While they made funny content to make the stressful situation lighter, he later opened up about how the positive impact she had on him during that time:
"Through the pandemic, she was a lifesaver — she really made that time in my life special."
May 2020
The hard launch came in May. Shaun posted a sweet timelapse of Nina cutting his hair, since COVID restrictions didn't allow him to visit a regular hair salon. The video was the first time they shared each other directly, confirming their romance and the fact that they were quarantining together.
February 2021
Since their relationship didn't become public until March 2020, Valentine's Day in 2021 was their first one celebrated in public as well. Nina posted a loving tribute to her boyfriend with a picture of them and a caption that jokingly referred to him as her "favorite snow cone flavor." Shaun posted his own tribute as well, with a series of pictures in which Nina is constantly sticking out her tongue at him, addressing it in the caption by saying he never knew how "lickable" he was until they met. The only thing we never knew was how they are relationship goals by seeing them have so much fun together!
January 2022
The couple are constantly hitting the slopes, but surprisingly, not only because of Shaun's input. Even though that is literally his job, Nina is actually a big fan of the snow sports as well. She has mentioned she's been skiing since she was 8 years old, which makes her a perfect match for her snowboarding-devoted boyfriend. Whether together or as a double date with her "The Vampire Diaries" co-star, they are constantly taking a trip up the mountain for some fun in the snow.
February 2022
Shaun is a five-time Olympian with three gold medals to his name. His last Winter Games appearance was during the Beijing 2022 edition, which Nina was eager to celebrate. She posted about her admiration for him as a way to wish him good luck in his final Olympic appearance, with a second farewell post that read, "Did I mention I already won the gold with you?" While he didn't win any more decorations in those Games, he also got the gold.
March 2022
After his legendary career concluded with his participation in the Beijing 2022 games, Nina was quick to celebrate his achievements with what she referred to as a #RetirementPartyAt35. She went all out to make sure every detail screamed "Shaun White tribute party," from redhead wigs as a nod to his iconic mane from when he was younger to shot skis as the only appropriate cup to drink from.
Summer 2022
After his retirement, Shaun has had more free time to spend with Nina. One of the couple's shared interests is traveling, which keeps them trotting the world whenever they're not busy with professional endeavors. The couple posts constantly about their trips, whether fun in the sun in the Maldives or a quick Greek getaway.
July 2023
The couple that promotes together… stays together? Nina and Shaun had an interesting coincidence that happened, with both of them having a release on the same day. Nina's movie, "The Outlaws", came out on Netflix, and Shaun's documentary, "The Last Run", was released on Max. Instead of outshining each other, they made a funny video out of it, impersonating each other trying to promote their project. Clearly, they are each other's number one supporters, and this was the perfect occasion to prove it.
August 2023
The couple never shies away from showing just how much fun they have together. During the Barbenheimer summer, they proved which team they were by sporting costumes that reference Barbie and Ken, with Shaun being eager to commit to the bit with a blonde wig. If the caption is any indication, these two definitely know a thing or two about a good party.
November 2023
After almost four years together, the couple proved they were still going strong by enjoying a date night filled with the excitement of an adrenaline rush. Shaun, an avid lover of speed and races, traded the snow for the tracks, joining Nina for a night out at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas. It's evident that the couple enjoys all types of athletic events, not just the winter events Shaun used to compete in.
February 2024
Continuing with their sporty outings, the couple headed to Las Vegas once again, this time to catch up with Super Bowl LVIII and Usher's masterful halftime show performance.They even shared their excitement about seeing the singer, sharing a video of them getting ready for the big event.
October 2024
After five years together, marked by constant showcases of their mutual love and admiration, exploring the world, and building a new life together with their pets and a shared home, the couple decided to take their relationship to the next level by getting engaged. Shaun asked Nina to marry him in an intimate restaurant saloon filled with flowers and twinkling lights to create the most dreamy scenario.
Congrats to the happy couple! If the snippets they share are only a tenth of the love they have for each other, we're sure they are in for a lifetime filled with adoration and the constant adventures that make them such a great team.