Ian Somerhalder reveals financial struggles with wife Nikki Reed
What's the story
Ian Somerhalder, known for his role in The Vampire Diaries, recently revealed that he and his wife, Twilight star Nikki Reed, were once in a huge financial mess. The couple was reportedly in an eight-figure debt due to a failed business venture and fraud. In an interview with E! News, Somerhalder spoke about this challenging phase of their life and how they managed to overcome it.
Debt details
'Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of'
Somerhalder revealed, "I retired from acting seven years ago." "I left an insanely lucrative career in television after a financial upheaval from building a business that I didn't build properly." "And due to fraud, it put my wife and I into an eight-figure hole." "Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of...But Nikki and I did it." "You know, she really negotiated us out of this deal, but we sold houses, paintings, cars, watches, everything."
Career shift
Somerhalder on leaving acting career
After retiring from acting, Somerhalder became an entrepreneur. He co-founded Brother's Bond Bourbon with his The Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley. He also started the Absorption Company with Reed, which sells high-absorption powdered supplements. Despite the financial struggles, Somerhalder has no regrets about leaving his acting career behind. In 2024, he told E! News, "I loved what I did for a really long time. I don't miss any of it...We had an amazing run."
Family focus
The couple's family and business life now
Somerhalder, 47, and Reed, 37, got married in April 2015 and have two children: a daughter named Bodhi (8) and a son who was born in June 2023. They moved to a farm near Los Angeles a few years ago, where they are now raising their kids while managing three businesses. "We're building three companies at the same time, raising kids," he told People in October 2024.