It has been nearly a decade since The Vampire Diaries wrapped up its blood-soaked run, but it seems the romance did not die with the show¡ªat least not offscreen. In a jaw-dropping moment straight out of a CW finale, Zach Roerig and Arielle Kebbel just gave fans the plot twist they never saw coming: They are officially dating. Yes, really.
The adorable reveal went down at the I Was Feeling Epic 3 fan convention in Georgia on April 6, where Roerig surprised Kebbel during her meet-and-greet with a whole florist¡¯s worth of flowers and sealed it with a kiss. Fans were quick to catch the swoon-worthy moment on camera, and the video has since gone full viral in the TVD fandom.
As the crowd let out collective gasps, cheers, and probably a few happy tears, the internet lit up with nostalgic fangirl energy. Kebbel even popped into the comments on a reposted clip with a trio of red hearts, because subtlety is for humans¡ªnot 350-year-old vampires.
To jog your memory: Roerig played Matt Donovan, the only fully human core character across all eight seasons. No fangs, no spells¡ªjust good ol¡¯ Matt with perpetual trauma and a deputy badge. Kebbel¡¯s Lexi Branson, meanwhile, popped in and out across seasons 1 to 8 as Stefan¡¯s vampire bestie with sage advice and immortal sass.
Although their characters barely crossed paths onscreen, real life had other plans. The two previously starred as romantic leads in the 2023 Hallmark film Love in the Great Smoky Mountains, which might have been the real-life spell that rekindled their chemistry. Art imitating life? More like Hallmark manifesting the romance the show never gave us.
While they have kept things pretty low-key until now, Roerig once reflected on how The Vampire Diaries was more than just a job. It was, in his words, a healing experience during a turbulent time in his life¡ªand clearly, the bonds built on that set are still going strong.
Fans who spent their teenage years emotionally invested in Mystic Falls just got the ultimate reward: a love story that did not require a resurrection spell.