Overview
- Somerhalder said in an E! News interview that he left acting seven years ago after a business he backed collapsed and left him and Nikki Reed owing eight figures.
- He described making large personal guarantees to banks and blamed fraud inside the company, misconduct by a major customer, and an energy‑sector downturn for the losses.
- He said Reed led talks with lenders as they sold houses, art, cars, and watches to unwind the deal and claw back their finances.
- Somerhalder said constant travel to meet obligations took a physical toll, claiming he was hospitalized multiple times over two years.
- He now points to recovery through new ventures, citing Brothers Bond Bourbon with Paul Wesley and The Absorption Company he co‑founded with Reed in 2024.