Is Nikki Reed Forcing Husband Ian Somerhalder to Quit 'The Vampire Diaries' Fearing Nina Dobrev's Return?

Speculations are rife that "The Vampire Diaries" actor Ian Somerhalder is thinking of quitting the vampire drama to pursue other acting opportunities. And according to a new report, his wife Nikki Reed is being blamed for Somerhalder's decision.

Reportedly, Reed fears that Somerhalder's ex girlfriend Nina Dobrev would return to the show, and she doesn't want the two to reconnect on the sets of "The Vampire Diaries."

Dobrev left the show in May, after playing Elena Gilbert for almost six years.

Dobrev and Somerhalder dated for about three years after meeting on the sets of "The Vampire Diaries" in 2009. Almost a year after they called it quits, Somerhalder started dating "Twilight" alum Reed, who was Dobrev's friend. Since then Dobrev and Reed haven't been on talking terms, according to reports.

Although Dobrev, Reed and Somerhalder have been acting as if all's well between them, Somerhalder's decision to unfollow Dobrev on Twitter and the newly married couple's absence at the Teen Choice Awards prove otherwise.

Now, if Somerhalder leaves "The Vampire Diaries", he will succeed in cutting off any association with Dobrev, and he wouldn't have to interact with her if and when she decides to return to the show.

As reported earlier, a number of people associated with "The Vampire Diaries" have said they would love to have Dobrev back on the show. The cast of the vampire drama too hinted at the possibility of Dobrev's return during their San Diego Comic-Con interviews.

However, it's unlikely that Dobrev would want to return to the show, as she left "The Vampire Diaries", saying she wanted to pursue other opportunities.

According to a Celeb Dirty Laundry report, Dobrev isn't happy that her former colleagues are expecting her to return to the show. "Dobrev likely took the tease as a slap in the face, as it insinuates Nina would eventually come crawling back to the show because she can't score any other roles."

The report also noted that Dobrev is using her "celebrity friends to promote herself for movie roles" as she doesn't want to return to "The Vampire Diaries" and get involved in the Somerhalder-Nikki Reed romance drama once again.