With Nina Gone, Is Ian Next?

When my grandchildren ask me where I was when I heard that Nina Dobrev is leaving The Vampire Diaries , I will respond, "None of your business." Grandkids can be so nosy, you know? Kind of like fans. Because fans are dying to know, now that Dobrev is out, will Damon leave The Vampire Diaries , too? Can the show support a Damon without an Elena? Or, will Ian Somerhalder just decide he, too, will stop his run at Season 6 and bow out before Season 7? Showrunner Julie Plec said in a statement that they "look forward to the insane and exciting challenge of continuing to tell stories of our Salvatore Brothers and our much-loved and gifted ensemble." So let's mull this over.

There are a few clues we can look at to determine whether or not Smolderholder will make a glorious, brooding return to the hit CW series. First, there's the way his eyebrows have been blowing in the wind as of late. Are those micro hairs trying to tell us something?? Second, there's his whole social media presence. Third, he may or may not have been seen canoodling with a lot of bitches (dogs, guys. I mean literal dogs). But seriously, there are some real hints about Somerhalder's status for Season 7. Let's dive in.

Hint One: He's Happy

This man is one happy dude, which could clue us in that he's content in both his personal and his professional life. If things were gloomy in one area, maybe he'd be a little more conflicted. Maybe he'd be a little more cagey. Make no mistake, Somerhalder is smiling. Would he be so happy if he was unemployed?

Hint Two: He Said Everything Was Great On Set

In December, he admitted that everything was great on set, and that there are no fights that would keep the show from moving to Season 7.

Hint Three: Plec Knows Season 7 Will Be Good

In October, Plec told E!:

We have a lot of people already set to return, so the show has plenty of opportunity to tell good stories. And those that don’t survive — just the thought of it actually hurts me a little and hurts them, they’ll be sitting at home being, "Don’t let that be me! Don’t let that be me!" — we’ll see. It’s an exciting challenge. Sad, nostalgic, scary, and yet super stimulating.

Now that we know it's Dobrev who's leaving, doesn't that quote above make it sound like Somerhalder is safe, and will return?

Hint Four: He's Listed On IMDb

Check it out. On IMDb, both Somerhalder and Paul Wesley have listings for The Vampire Diaries, Season 7, Episode 1. That might be enough to rest our case.

Goodbye forever, Elena. And Damon? Well, see you soon, old friend.

Images: Getty Images; IMDb