Ian Somerhalder Opens Up About Eight-Figure Debt Crisis He and Nikki Reed Overcame

Ian Somerhalder is opening up about the financial crisis that derailed his acting career and forced him and his wife Nikki Reed to make some difficult choices.

In an interview with E! News, the 47-year-old actor reflected on stepping away from television seven years ago following a business venture that went wrong. Somerhalder, who was a star on The Vampire Diaries, explained that he had made substantial personal guarantees to a bank for a clean energy company—commitments that ultimately plunged him and Reed into an eight-figure debt hole.

"I retired from acting seven years ago. I left an insanely lucrative career in television after 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," Somerhalder said. The situation "came crashing down" when the business failed to deliver on expectations.

Navigating their way out of the financial bind required significant sacrifice. "Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of. But Nikki and I did it," Somerhalder shared, crediting his 37-year-old wife with playing a crucial role. "She really negotiated us out of this deal but we sold houses, paintings, cars, watches, everything," he added.

The actor reflected on what might have been, noting that he should have been living comfortably off his success on one of television's biggest shows rather than taking on entrepreneurial risks that didn't pan out.

These days, Somerhalder has moved on to new ventures. He and his former Vampire Diaries co-star Paul Wesley launched Brother's Bond Bourbon, a straight bourbon whiskey. He's also pursuing an entirely different path—learning to become a pilot, an endeavor he views through the lens of his past experiences.

"I've just started learning how to be a pilot. You plan as much for when things don't go right as then they do," he explained.

When it comes to advice for couples considering business partnerships, Somerhalder emphasizes maintaining perspective. "Make it fun. Remember, it's supposed to be fun. Find the beauty in all of it," he said.