With only five episodes left of The Vampire Diaries sixth season, lead actress Nina Dobrev has posted a touching tribute to her co-star Paul Wesley, who will be continuing on into the seventh season without Nina. The two leads began the show together in 2009, but Nina revealed last Tuesday that she would be leaving at the end of the current season.
"Just finished filming my last Stefan and Elena scene with the amazing @paulvedere /@paulwesley #Stelena #TVDFamily" wrote Nina on Twitter.
Fans replied with comments reminding Nina of their heartbreak at her departure, but it was Paul's response which was sure to hit the 26-year-old actress the hardest, as the actor sent a simple broken heart emoticon.
Through an emotional Instagram post, Nina revealed to fans of the CW show on Tuesday that she would be leaving the show.
She wrote: "...within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime. I was a human, a vampire, a doppelganger, a crazy immortal, a doppelganger pretending to be a human, a human pretending to be a doppelganger. I got kidnapped, killed, resurrected, tortured, cursed, body-snatched, was dead and undead, and there's still so much more to come before the season finals in May.
"Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever."
Nina Dobrev with her co-stars Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder
Nina then invited the show's fans to "hop on the roller coaster ride that is Elena Gilbert's life and join me as I celebrate her and prepare to say goodbye to her – and to my work family – as I move on to the next chapter of my life".
She added: "You, the wonderful fandom who have more love, support and passion than anyone could have ever imagined seven years ago, when a young Degrassi girl from Canada showed up to LA to audition for 'that Twilight TV show'. I love you all. Fasten your seatbelts. If you think you know what's coming, you don't."