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- Shaun White Says Girlfriend Nina Dobrev Holds Him to a “High Standard” – Look at Their Dating Timeline
Shaun White Says Girlfriend Nina Dobrev Holds Him to a “High Standard” – Look at Their Dating Timeline
Getty / Robin L Marshall
Actor Nina Dobrev and snowboarding legend Shaun White have a relationship that traces back to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair briefly crossed paths at the Teen Choice Awards in 2012 but weren’t formally introduced until years later in 2019, per People. After months of speculation, Dobrev and White made their relationship Instagram official in April 2020 after the “Perks of Being a Wallflower” star shared a post of the two playfully washing groceries at home. The couple ended up quarantining together and shared a number of their activities on social media, including going on road trips together and Dobrev giving White a haircut.
From 2020 onward, Dobrev and White have been open about their relationship and haven’t shied away from gushing about one another, with the gold medalist telling People in October 2021, “Nina’s incredible. What an influence on my life. Not only does she run her own show, her own world, companies she’s involved in, things she’s producing, all this stuff going on. She holds me to this same high standard which is so wonderful to have in a partner.”
From their days in quarantine to red carpet premieres, here is the couple’s relationship timeline.
Getty / David M. Benett
Late 2019: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Are Introduced
Though Dobrev and White initially met in 2012, the two weren’t formally introduced until 2019. According to People, the two connected at an event hosted by motivational speaker Tony Robbins in Florida. Dobrev and White were speakers at the workshop event, and after they finished their speeches, the two decided to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Surprisingly, White had no idea who Dobrev was. “I actually didn’t know anything about her,” White explained to People in a 2022 interview. White recalled that after Dobrev was able to secure a table in the busy restaurant, some of the waitresses approached the table and asked for a picture. “I was like, ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?’ It was actually really funny,” he explained.
Getty / David M. Benett
April 2020: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Are Instagram Official
After months of dating speculation, Dobrev and White made their relationship Instagram official in April 2020. In a video from Dobrev, she begins washing grocery products . . . but not with her own hands. White is actually behind Dobrev using his hands to act as her hands while jokingly washing a sink full of produce and grocery items.
In the caption, the “Love Hard” actor wrote, “You can never be too cautious. Don’t just wash your hands, wash the groceries when you come back from the store. Some reports say that COVID can live on plastic, cardboard and produce for multiple days. I take extra measures to make sure I’m staying safe at home.”
Getty / Pascal Le Segretain
June 2021: Shaun White Reveals How He and Nina Dobrev Celebrated Their First Anniversary
Dobrev and White celebrated their one-year anniversary in a special way. In a June 2021 interview with Us Weekly, the snowboarder explained, “I wanted to recreate our first date, but everything was closed. I managed to sweet talk the owner of the place to open up for us. It was actually pretty fun to have a place all to ourselves.”
He revealed that during the pandemic the two got creative about hanging out when the country was on lockdown. “We did a couple of drive-in movies,” White shared. “We did some simple things. . . . My sport of snowboarding is outdoors and, you know, you go to the mountains and you’re kind of distanced already by chairlifts and things. So, we’ve been able to do more snowboarding and trips like that than I would’ve expected.”
Getty / Gotham
January-February 2022: Nina Dobrev Supports Shaun White During the Olympics
In January and February 2022, White had his final run with the Olympics, with Dobrev supporting him along the way. While White was at the Olympics Games in January 2022, she revealed to Us Weekly that she was anxiously watching him from home. The actor later told E! News, “I am really excited for him. Just to get into the Olympics at all is one of the hugest accomplishments, let alone to get in five times. I’m so excited. I’m so proud of him.”
Getty / Lia Toby
May 2022: Nina Dobrev and Shaun White Make Their Red Carpet Debut
Dobrev and White made their red carpet debut at the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” in May 2022. The couple attended the event in support of Dobrev’s ex-boyfriend Glen Powell and her friend Miles Teller.
Getty / Gisela Schober
April 2023: Shaun White Reveals There Is "No Pressure" to Propose to Nina Dobrev
After dating for over three years, Dobrev and White have been the subject of engagement and wedding speculation. Though the two are happily in a relationship, White revealed to People in April 2023 that they aren’t in any rush to tie the knot. “We’re just enjoying our time together right now. No pressure. But I told her, I was like, ‘Look, after the Olympics, I finally got my freedom to do whatever. And let’s just have fun and be together and support each other,'” he explained. “But you never know. We’ll see what happens.”
Getty / Steve Granitz
June 2023: Shaun White Accompanies Nina Dobrev to the Premiere of "The Out-Laws"
In June 2023, the lovebirds attended the premiere of Dobrev’s latest movie, “The Out-Laws,” on June 27, 2023. In a variety of pictures from the event, Dobrev and White smiled, laughed, and looked happily in love.