Nina Dobrev leaves The Vampire Diaries after six seasons

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The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev will not be returning for the drama’s seventh series.

The actress, who plays Elena in the series, announced the news on Instagram saying she “always knew I wanted Elena’s story to be a six season adventure”.

She invited fans to join her as she celebrated Elena’s life “and prepare to say goodbye to her as I move on to the next chapter of my life”.

It is not known what Dobrev’s next project will be. Her role in The Vampire Diaries has helped launch her film career, earning her parts in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Roommate and Let’s Be Cops.

The 26-year-old has become a fan favourite for her work on The Vampire Diaries, earning numerous Teen Choice Awards as well as People’s Choice Awards.

Dearest TVD Family,

I've just spent the most beautiful weekend on Lake Lanier in Georgia with my own TVD Family, the cast and crew of The Vampire Diaries. I want to be the first to tell you that it wasn't just a holiday celebration, it was a goodbye party. I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime. I was a human, a vampire, a doppelganger, a crazy immortal, a doppelganger pretending to be human, a human pretending to be a doppelganger. I got kidnapped, killed, resurrected, tortured, cursed, body-snatched, was dead and undead, and there's still so much more to come before the season finale in May. Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever.

There's more to come before we wrap this up, and I promise you'll get to hear all about my experiences over the next month as we approach the season finale (I have given an exclusive interview for the June issue of SELF Magazine that I am excited for you to see!), but until then I invite you to hop on the roller coaster ride that is Elena Gilbert's life and join me as I celebrate her and prepare to say goodbye to her — and to my work family — as I move on to the next chapter of my life. I want to share this goodbye with all of you (this weekend's pictures were just the beginning). You, the wonderful fandom who gave more love, support and passion than anyone could have ever imagined seven years ago, when a young Degrassi girl from Canada showed up in LA to audition for 'that Twilight TV show.' ;-) I love you all. Fasten your seatbelts. If you think you know what's coming, you don't.

Love, Nina