Whoops! Ian Somerhalder Spoke Too Soon, ‘Vampire Diaries’ To Continue, But Season 8 Will Be His Last

Ian Somerhalder made a major slip up last week. In speaking to a group of fans, Somerhalder revealed that Season 8 would be the last for The Vampire Diaries. However, he has since recanted his statement and hinted that the show would continue on. Does this mean that Somerhalder is still done at the end of the next season?

According to Entertainment Weekly, Somerhalder made the announcement during Walker Stalker Con in Nashville. The actor took to the stage during the event and let slip that Season 8 would be the last. “We have decided to do one last season to really do the story justice,” Somerhalder shared to a shocked audience.

Naturally, fans took this to mean that The Vampire Diaries would wrap up after one more season. After all, Somerhalder was fairly clear in his comments about the coming end. However, the actor recently posted a message on Twitter and revealed that the show was not going to conclude after next year.

“Hey all, so… Last weekend I talked to an audience at a Q&A about the end of #TVD and how excited I was to make what I believe – my last year – be as great as possible,” Somerhalder wrote. “Thing is, the people who actually make that decision (the CW and WB) haven’t made it yet! So let’s take things one step at a time: Season 7 wrap, vacation, lots of sleep, let the writers get started on Season 8, and then we’ll all see where we go from there. Until then, much love.”

It’s unclear if Somerhalder was just speaking his own opinion on the matter or if the decision to end the show has already been made. Whatever the case, TV Line is reporting that Somerhalder had plenty of excuses for his slip.

“Somehow in my infinite wisdom and end-of-season foggy brain, I managed to make it sound like the show was coming to an end,” Somerhalder stated. “Cut to the press running stories that the show would be done after Season 8.”

Based on Ian Somerhalder’s comments, it appears as though he will be done with the series after next year, regardless if the show continues on without him. According to TV Guide, Somerhalder’s decision to part ways with The Vampire Diaries comes on the heels of Kat Graham’s announcement that Season 8 will also be Bonnie Bennett’s last.

“Season 8 will be my last season,” Graham shared. “I just hope that whatever I do after, the crew can come with me. … The crew is going to be the hardest thing to let go, because we are a family.”

With so many members of the cast calling it quits, there is a strong possibility that The Vampire Diaries will end after next season. However, if the series does continue on without Somerhalder and Graham, it will be interesting to see how their exit affects the show’s ratings.

Ever since Nina Dobrev decided to end her run after Season 6, and the show has suffered a decrease in ratings. This eventually led the network to move the show to a new time slot, which also led to speculation of a potential cancellation. The CW has renewed the series for an eighth year, which will include Somerhalder, Graham, Candice Accola and Paul Wesley.

So far, Wesley has not commented on his future on the show. Considering how the network reacted to Somerhalder’s latest slip, it is not likely that Wesley will make a similar mistake. Unfortunately, this still leaves fans wondering when the series will end.

The seventh season of The Vampire Diaries continues Friday nights on The CW.

Tell us! Do you think The Vampire Diaries should end with Ian Somerhalder’s exit? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[Photo by Frazier Harrison/Getty Images]