Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder Welcome Baby No. 2: A Timeline of Their Relationship
Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder have a love story for the ages! Since they were first linked in July 2014, Reed and Somerhalder have gotten married and welcomed two children.
Reed, known for her role in the Twilight franchise, and Somerhalder, most recognized from his Vampire Diaries gig, weren't each other's first loves, though.
Prior to her romance with Somerhalder, Reed was married to Paul McDonald from 2011 until she announced their separation in March 2014. As for Somerhalder, he had a long-term romance with Nina Dobrev, but the pair called it quits in May 2013.
Keep reading to see a full breakdown of the couple's romance.
June 2014
Though fans didn't know it at the time, Reed and Somerhalder had their first date a month before they were publicly linked, the actor revealed on Instagram in 2019.
"5 years ago today this amazing human being came over to my townhouse in Atlanta for tea. We've never been apart since," he wrote. "... What a magical journey @nikkireed Thank you for teaching me so much every day."
July 2014
Reed and Somerhalder caught fans' attention when they were seen jogging together, attending a farmer's market, and displaying some major PDA at a Comic-Con party.
January 2015
Six months after they were first linked -- and five months after they adopted a horse together -- reports surfaced that the duo was engaged.
That same month, Reed told reporters, "Life is really great right now and I'm so excited for the future."
April 2015
The couple tied the knot at sunset in Santa Monica, just months after Somerhalder popped the question. Later, Reed shared a video from the special day along with a poem for her new husband, "You are/My every dream brought to life/We are/A cosmic collision/This is/A lifetime felt in every moment I'm by your side/My love."
May 2015
They jetted off to Mexico for their honeymoon, and Reed shared a rare pic with her love to mark the occasion. They traveled to Brazil next to continue their honeymoon festivities.
At the CW Upfronts the next month, Somerhalder said he'd just experienced "the most incredible two weeks and six days of my life," adding that "there's something to be said for happiness."
July 2015
In an interview with ET, Reed said that she and Somerhalder "always find time to be close to each other," noting, "I think that the ability to stay connected and in the same place physically is a real priority and more important than almost anything."
September 2015
A few months later, in his own interview with ET, Somerhalder opened up about his future with Reed.
"Oh, hell yes! Absolutely," he said of his hopes for becoming a dad. "You know, it’s all about practice… It's not practice makes perfect -- it's perfect practice."
As for newlywed life, Somerhalder said, "It's the most incredible thing to be happy and secure in something."
February 2017
Reed took to Instagram to put any rumors about a feud with her husband's ex to rest, sharing a pic of herself with Somerhalder and Dobrev.
"For the last few years we thought addressing any baseless rumors with silence was the best way," Reed began her lengthy caption. "... I now see that silence was taken as an opportunity to fill in the blanks with even more falsities, and juicer stories, and we, yes WE, believe we have a moral responsibility to young girls to end that narrative, because at the end of all of this, those young girls are the ones who lose."
"Their passion and endless devotion for a tv show is being taken advantage of, replaced with feelings of anger through divisive techniques, & even worse, their minds are being shaped & molded as their view of themselves, other girls, & what those dynamics should look like are being formed," she continued. "So here's to putting an end to all those fake stories of on set jealousy, betrayal, made-up-friendships lost & women hating women. Because at the end of the day, that's what this is about: teaching girls that you have to hate other girls only breeds a generation of women who believe you have to hate other women."
She concluded, "Let's shift what we put into the universe starting now, & hopefully we will start to see a shift in the way we treat each other & view ourselves."
Somerhalder posted the same pic along with a message of his own.
"After years of websites pretending these two badass ladies knew each other well and baseless, false information of back stabbing and hatred from low-brow websites filled the minds and hearts of fans... They finally were able to get together for their first real dinner," he wrote in part. "Let's stop spreading hate everyone, there's already too much of that right now in our world. Join in on the love. Only love here- always has been always will be."
May 2017
A month after the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary, Reed announced that she was pregnant with her and Somerhalder's first child. She shared the happy news by posting a pic of her husband kissing her growing stomach.
"Hi Little One, I know you, but only because I feel you. How is it possible to love someone so much already? All I know for sure is it's the strongest feeling I've ever felt," Reed wrote to her baby on the way. "We've been sharing this body for quite some time, and we've already experienced so much together. We can't wait to meet you."
Somerhalder shared the same pic, writing in part, "In my 38 years on this earth I've never experienced anything more powerful and beautiful than this."
August 2017
A few months later, Reed opened up about her relationship and pregnancy in an interview with Fit Pregnancy and Baby, revealing, "Ian jokes that he wants to keep me pregnant forever."
She then shared her and Somerhalder's plans to keep their newborn to themselves when he or she arrived.
"We'll take the baby's first month for ourselves. After the baby arrives, we're doing one month of silence. Just the three of us, no visitors, and we're turning off our phones too, so there's no expectation for us to communicate," she said. "Otherwise, every five minutes it would be, 'How are you feeling? Can we have a picture?' You don’t get those first 30 days back, and we want to be fully present."
That same month, the couple welcomed their baby girl, Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder.
Somerhalder confirmed the little one's arrival shortly thereafter, praising Reed as "an amazing mom" on Instagram.
December 2018
In an interview with People, Reed opened up about how her and Somerhalder's life had changed since welcoming their baby.
"We live such crazy nomadic lifestyles all over the place, on planes, and [we've had] to uproot and move. Now that we're a family, the whole family goes together so that Mom and Dad can both be there at every second to witness every milestone and everything that's happening," she said. "It's kind of like you pick up the whole house and move it and set the house down. We definitely are feeling right now like we miss home."
April 2019
The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary on Instagram, both sharing lengthy tributes to their better halves.
"Four years ago we had no idea what we were getting into. We didn't know everything we thought we knew about life, or what it means to be a real life-partner to somebody else. We were just two kids who were crazy about each other. We didn't yet know how to grow with someone, but we knew we were in love and we knew we wanted to learn all of these things...together," Reed wrote. "I still have no idea if we're doing it right, but I know we both wake up everyday and choose each other. We've seen a lot, we've done a lot, we've laughed a lot, we've laughed a lot of it off, and we've continued to be each other’s biggest cheerleaders, and truest support system."
She added, "May this next chapter be filled with curiosity and even more admiration for all the incredible things we still continue to discover. May we continue to ask each other questions and make-out in the backseat. You are the love of my life, the only one who gives me butterflies, and I'm so grateful we get to experience this together. Happy four years married my honey."
As for Somerhalder, he wrote that he's "completely blown away" by his wife.
"Watching you in this new role and seeing first hand the true power you possess as a mother, an artist, a businesswoman and a real trailblazing leader into the world of sustainability and art is profound," he wrote. "I only wish I was half as bold and together as you."
"Whether dancing at our wedding, swimming across the seas, cuddling one of our furry creatures, jumping on airplanes around the world, snapping beautiful photos or sitting hand and hand looking at the ocean with a beer: we do it all together," Somerhalder added. "It's been nothing short of amazing to breathe the air of the bright blue sky all over this planet with you. Thank you for spending this life with me and thank you for all you teach me."
May 2021
Alongside a snuggled-up pic with his wife, Somerhalder revealed that Reed "worked selflessly for 2yrs to build me out of a terrible business situation I got myself into."
"This woman here decided that she didn't want to see her husband ruin his body/mind/spirit and pulled up her bootstraps and got down in the trenches assembling a team to get to the negotiating table to find a way out," he said of his eight-figure debt. "She devoted her life to getting me out of that mess and it almost killed her along the way. I am where I am BECAUSE of this woman"
"SHE got us through. It's unreal. I owe her my health, my life and my sanity... I honor this woman and appreciate her more than anyone I could ever imagine," he added. "... The light you radiate into our household and this planet is beyond inspiring. You are a superwoman. You made it possible for me to live, build my dreams, and to start my life over. The world needs people like you."
May 2022
In an interview with People, Reed revealed that she and Somerhalder had relocated their lives to a farm after she "made a conscious choice to give my child the most normal life possible."
"My greatest joy is watching my daughter run through the dirt with her shoes off," Reed said.
Months later, Somerhalder told the same outlet that his family's farm is "magic."
"I think what the pandemic sort of did was show us that moments matter," he said. "Birthdays matter. Holidays matter. These small little granular moments with one another really matter."
January 2023
The couple took to social media to announce their second baby on the way. Reed shared a pic of herself holding her daughter on her growing bump in honor of the happy news.
"Years of dreaming, manifesting and praying over this very moment. So much love. What a gift," she wrote, before Somerhalder shared the same pic and a message of his own.
"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!!!!!" he wrote. "Thank you thank you to this incredible human for the gift of life and love, for being the most incredible mom and working so hard to make dreams come true!!!"
June 2023
Baby boy Somerhalder's birth was announced when Reed shared the news on her Instagram Story.
"A few weeks ago we welcomed our son on what can only be described as one of the most beautiful days of my life," Reed wrote alongside a pic of the newborn holding her finger while lying on her chest. "Born at home in water and surrounded by so much love, in an instant my heart doubled in size."
"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," Reed continued. "I wanted to share first so I can say thank you so much in advance for honoring those boundaries, and for sending positivity, kindness and LOVE."
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