Aurora Starchild
Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed are a match made in heaven. They share similar values, they’re cute as can be, and they both enjoy being out of the spotlight despite being famous. The couple just announced that Nikki is pregnant with their second child. Here’s a look at the Vampire Diaries and Twilight alums’ expanding family.
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Ian Somerhalder’s Rise to Fame
Ian Somerhalder was born December 8, 1979, in Covington, Louisiana. His mother was a massage therapist, and his father was an independent building contractor. Ian told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that he modeled from ages 10 to 13 but then decided at age 17 to switch to acting.
By 1997, around age 18, Somerhalder was cast in his first credited TV series, The Big Easy. He was only in one episode, but the roles came quickly. By 2000, he played Hamilton Fleming in 8 episodes of Young Americans. The following year, Ian played Russell Henderson in Anatomy of a Hate Crime and Josh in Life as a House.
Ian Somerhalder continued to be cast in TV and film but truly made a name for himself as Boone Carlyle in Lost. Lost’s popularity shot him to fame, and he played Boone from 2004 to 2010. Although his character was the first in the show to die, the producers recognized his value and had Ian return for several more episodes.
If Lost made Ian Somerhalder a star, then The Vampire Diaries made him a supernova. He played Damon Salvatore in 171 episodes from 2009 to 2017. Despite his busy schedule, Ian also made time to donate his time to a plethora of environmental projects and social activism. This includes cleaning an oil spill in his home state and launching the Ian Somerhalder Foundation in 2010.
After a few years of dating his Vampire Diaries costar Nina Dobrev, they officially split up in 2013. Nina would go on to date snowboard legend Shaun White and Ian would eventually find the love of his life, Nikki Reed.
Nikki Reed’s Career Took off as a Teenager
Nikki (Nicole) Reed was born May 17, 1988, in Los Angeles, California, making her 9 ½ years younger than Ian. Nikki’s mom was a hairdresser, and her father was a production designer. Her parents split when she was only 2 years old.
Nikki Reed’s first real break in Hollywood was in 2003 when she was only 14. Her mother’s friend, director, and screenwriter Catherine Hardwicke asked Nikki to work with her on a screenplay. The screenplay was for a film called Thirteen and the main character shared many traits with Nikki. Because of the complexity of the character, Nikki played the main role of Evie Zamora.
Thirteen, which costarred Evan Rachel Wood, was widely acclaimed. Nikki garnered 8 award nominations for her work as an actress and as a screenwriter on the film, winning 3. The famous 14-year-old actress used her earnings from the film to get her own apartment in Los Angeles. In the process, she dropped out of high school and returned again. But after another year, she left due to being harassed by other students’ mothers. She finished her studies and received a high school diploma through homeschooling.
“I couldn’t stay there anymore,” Reed told the Khaleej Times. “It wasn’t as if I was Hilary Duff in a movie where all the girls wanted to meet me. Mothers were sneaking into the school at lunchtime to confront and harass me about the film. It was unbelievable, so I left.”
Like Her Future Husband, Nikki Was Cast as a Vampire
After establishing her career and autonomy at a strikingly young age, Nikki Reed continued to be cast in TV and film. She was Kathy Alva in Lords of Dogtown, Sadie Campbell in The O.C., and, in 2008, was cast as Rosalie Hale in Twilight. Twilight’s popularity led to a 4-part Twilight Saga and Reed was in every film. Her most recent onscreen project was as Rachel Thompson in 5 episodes of V-Wars, a TV series from 2019.
She’s also written and performed music for a few soundtracks, including for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, which was a collaboration with her now ex-husband, Paul McDonald.
Nikki Reed married Paul McDonald, who became famous as a season 10 American Idol contestant, in 2011. According to US Weekly, the pair had dated for only 2 months before becoming engaged that June. They married in October. Per Billboard, Reed and McDonald separated in early 2014 due to irreconcilable differences. Despite the separation, they completed a full-length debut album, I’m Not Falling, and released it in 2014. Their divorce was finalized by the start of 2015.
Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder’s Budding Relationship
News of Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder’s relationship first became a subject of public interest in July 2014. People published a short piece about the pair being spotted together at a farmer’s market in Studio City, California. They appeared to be “affectionate and at ease with one another” as they shopped around.
Six months later, the couple announced that they were engaged. In that six-month period between the farmer’s market sighting and the engagement, Nikki and Ian had already done a lot. They were seen skiing at Sun Valley, Idaho, at the Golden Globes, and at a Comic-Con. Insiders told People that the couple was “very serious” and “so happy.”
In late January 2015, Nikki Reed told People that she and Somerhalder had immediately bonded over their love for animals. Just 6 months into their relationship (in the public eye), Nikki and Ian had already adopted 2 horses, 4 dogs, and 3 cats.
“I’m so lucky that Ian and I are on the same page with animals. We made [adopting the horses] happen together,” Reed told People. “Honestly just the endless possibilities, you know? We have such an amazing future ahead of us and anything we put our minds to will become a reality.”
Nikki and Ian Blossom Into Parenthood
That reality certainly came to fruition. The couple tied the knot in April 2015. They welcomed their baby girl, Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder, on July 25, 2017. Nikki and Ian had previously made a pact to step back from the world (social media, friends, visitors, and everyone) for a full 30 days after their firstborn arrived.
“You don’t get those first 30 days back, and we want to be fully present,” Reed told Fit Pregnancy & Baby (now Parents.com).
They also kept the sex a secret. They didn’t know if they would have a son or a daughter until Bodhi was born.
Once Bodhi came into the world, Reed and Somerhalder started to settle down in a big way. V-Wars was the most recent filming project for both of them. Then the pandemic happened. By the summer of 2022, the family of 3 decided to shift their lifestyle in a major way. Nikki, Ian, and 5-year-old Bodhi moved onto a farm outside of Los Angeles, where they could focus on what was most important.
The Reed Somerhalder Family Includes Dogs, Horses, Goats, and Cows
“[Living on the farm has been] magic,” Ian told People. “It’s really the way it’s always supposed to have been. I think now you’re seeing a lot of people who were working in corporate offices, and you can see it now from a societal standpoint. People are having a really hard time getting back to work.”
“I think what the pandemic sort of did was show us that moments matter. Birthdays matter. Holidays matter. These small little granular moments with one another really matter,” he continued. “And that is why Nikki and I find that rural or even urban/rural lifestyle — which I think a lot of people are getting into, whether it’s permaculture, building food forests — we’re past the point of just thinking that we’re going to stop all this by not using plastic straws and driving electric cars.”
On their farm, Nikki, Ian, and Bodhi (yes, Bodhi too!) grow herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables while raising animals. They have chickens, dogs, horses, cows, and goats. And little Bodhi is learning how to plant and cultivate all of it, too.
“My greatest joy is watching my daughter run through the dirt with her shoes off,” Reed told People. She added that the time they were spending connecting with nature was therapeutic and healing for her mental health.
Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder have often documented little Bodhi outside in nature, whether on a horse or picking lemons. But they’re also careful to protect her identity and haven’t shown her face — a practice that has become more common as technology raises ethical questions about privacy.
Little Bodhi Reed Somerhalder Is Going to Be a Big Sister
Most recently, Nikki and Ian posted a photo of her holding Bodhi. Her belly is round and prominent in a form-fitting maxi dress.
“Years of dreaming, manifesting and praying over this very moment. So much love. What a gift,” wrote Reed. “As all of you know, I have very strong boundaries with social media, especially when it comes to children and what I choose to put out into the world. Thank you so much for honoring that, and for sending positivity and kindness and LOVE. Some things are too good not to share.”
“All I’ve ever wanted from the time I was a young boy was to have a big family. Thank you Nik for giving me that gift. ROUND TWO HERE WE GO!!!!!” wrote Ian.
That’s right. Baby Reed Somerhalder #2 is on the way. And little Bodhi Soleil is going to be a big sister soon. How much more love could there possibly be?
