I'd argue one of the greatest qualities a person can have is being a good hang. A close second is having piercing red, flowing locks.
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Shaun White has both.
While I can't officially confirm the former, I picture White ripping an all-time halfpipe run; finishing, then cracking open a Mountain Dew, baby, and kicking back with the fellas. And Shaun White wouldn't be Shaun White without his hair. Not so much anymore since he trimmed up it thanks to a suggestion from Carrot Top, who said he's essentially imprisoned by his signature look. But "The Flying Tomato" still flies whether he's in season or harvesting.
Enough about my adoration for Shaun White. There's someone who adores him far more.
That special someone is his girlfriend Nina Dobrev.
Shaun White's Girlfriend Nina Dobrev
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You may recognize Nina Dobrev for her leading role as Elena Gilbert in "The Vampire Diaries," but let's take a look at her early life. Dobrev was born in Bulgaria, though her family moved to Toronto when she was 2.
She took an interest in acting as a teenager, landing her first major role in the Canadian teenage drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation." From there, she's landed consistent roles, with her most prominent being supporting parts in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "Let's Be Cops," "XXX: Return of Xander Cage" and the lead in Netflix's "Love Hard."
Besides being an actress, Dobrev's lengthy resume includes producer, director, activist, businesswoman and philanthropist. Some of her business ventures include partnerships with Affirm Travel, Christian Dior and her own wine company, Fresh Vine Wine.
According to US Weekly, White and Dobrev were first romantically linked in February 2020, when pictures surfaced of the two in South Africa. By May, the couple went Instagram official when Dobrev posted a picture of her getting ready to cut White's hair while quarantining together in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ever since, the couple has done a ton of active things together like going on hikes, dressing up for Halloween, celebrating Thanksgiving and hanging out with their dogs. And, of course, Dobrev was White's biggest supporter during the final snowboarding competition of his career at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The Hollywood actress published a celebratory post to her 25 million Instagram followers commemorating White's athletic achievements after he wrapped up his last Olympic games.
"I am in awe of you. Today we are celebrating you. Your hard work. Your passion. Your determination. Your talent. Your class. Your fearlessness. Your courage. Your soul. Your heart. YOUR LEGACY. I couldn't be more proud. Of everything you have accomplished over the last 20+ years as a competitor and the man you have become. You are one of a kind. You are a true hero and you inspire me daily. The end of one chapter, means the beginning of an exciting new one with endless possibilities. You will forever be the G.O.A.T. of snowboarding. Not to mention you are also the G.(B).O.A.T. = Greatest Boyfriend Of All Time @shaunwhite," she wrote on social media.
By all accounts, White and Dobrev have a happy and healthy relationship, and she's making sure her 35-year old boyfriend will have an active lifestyle in retirement.
"My girlfriend said, 'If you're retiring, you gotta make this list of things you wanna do,'" White explained on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on February 17. "So, I'm putting this list [together], and pretty close to the top of the list was, 'Go to a Super Bowl,' because it's always during the competitive season — I've never been to one. So I landed [back from China], said hi to everyone and then I'm like, 'I gotta go,' and went straight to the Super Bowl."
Dobrev is certainly a star in her own right, but she's not the first celeb White has been involved with.
Shaun White's Past Relationships & Sexual Assault Case
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Before Dobrev, the three-time Olympic gold medalist was in a relationship with Phantogram singer Sarah Barthel from 2013 to 2019.
According to US Weekly, the two met on the set of "Saturday Night Live" in New York City and slowly built a friendship before things turned romantic. Seeing as they both traveled a lot for their respective careers, the two kept their relationship going until their busy lifestyles forced them to call it quits. He's also been linked to Summer Spiro, Lindsay Lohan, Elisha Cuthbert, Arielle Vandenberg and Bar Rafaeli.
Although White has had two high-profile healthy relationships, he ran into some trouble in 2016 when Lena Zawaideh, the former drummer for his band Bad Things, accused him of sexual assault. The four-time Olympian denied the allegations other than admitting to sending sexually explicit images, per PBS. The lawsuit was settled out of court in May 2017, but he ran into some hot water for calling the situation gossip at a press conference after winning the Olympic gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang games. He later apologized.
The halfpipe final at the 2022 Winter Olympics, in which he finished fourth, was the last time we'll see professional snowboarder Shaun White. However, regular guy Shaun White seems happier than ever, and thanks to Nina Dobrev, he'll have plenty to do in retirement.
