Nina Dobrev is leaving The Vampire Diaries at the end of the show’s sixth season, the actress confirmed on Instagram.

Nina Dobrev To Exit TVD After Season 6

Dobrev, who has starred as Elena Gilbert on the hit CW show since it premiered in 2009, made the announcement on Sunday after posts on Instagram from various cast and crew members suggested they were celebrating her farewell from the show. Dobrev herself had been updating fans of her fun lake-side getaway weekend with various members of her “#TVDFamily,” but she didn’t say the reason for their celebration. It was crewmembers or people close to the show who reportedly posted photos on Instagram using the hashtag “#NinaWeWillMissYou” over the weekend, which sparked the rumors of Dobrev’s departure.

Nina Dobrev Confirms Exit In Statement

After the rumors began to gain traction, Dobrev and The Vampire Diaries Executive Producer Julie Plec took to social media to confirm the star’s departure form the show. “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,” Dobrev wrote. In her lengthy statement, Dobrev assured fans that they had not seen the last of their beloved Elena, and that there was still plenty more story to tell before the season 6 finale, saying, “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.”

It’s unclear whether or not Dobrev and Plec had planned on announcing Dobrev’s official exit from the show, or whether the rumors forced their hands. Whatever the circumstances, now that the news is public, Dobrev said she wants to make sure to share her last experiences on TVD with the fans and revealed that she gave an exclusive interview with SELF magazine that should shed some light on her exit when published in June.

Until then, Dobrev wrote, “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… 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.”

Plec then released her own statement, assuring fans that the show will live on past Dobrev’s surprising exit:

“Saying goodbye to Nina is both bittersweet and beautiful. After six-plus years together, the entire cast and crew of The Vampire Diaries has reached a level of closeness that I don’t think any of us ever expected. Nina is excited to spread her wings, get some rest, travel the world and also take it by stom, and we support her a thousand-fold.

We will miss Nina and the four hundred characters she played, but we look forward to the insane and exciting challenge of continuing to tell stories of our Salvatore Brothers and our much-loved and gifted ensemble.”

Michael Trevino Is Also Leaving TVD

Original cast members Candice Accola, Kat Graham, Zach Roerig, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder have all signed on for a seventh season, and Matthew Davis, who was absent for a few seasons, is also expected to return to the show. However, fellow original cast member Michael Trevino, who plays Tyler, the human/sometimes werewolf with anger issues, will also be leaving the show at the end of the season.

“Michael has been a beloved member of the Vampire Diaries family since day one. Even though he’s also going to be out in the world exploring new opportunities, we look forward to finding creative ways to make sure he and his character Tyler Lockwood always remain a part of the show,” Plec said.

Plec’s statements on Trevino suggest that his character, Tyler, might not be killed off. Trevino, who signed on to the ABC pilot The Kingmakers, might still appear in future episodes, but will no longer be a series regular. The Vampire Diaries has already suffered one major loss this season: co-star Steven R McQueen left the show as a series regular just a few months ago.

Meanwhile, The Vampire Diaries returns with all new episodes on Thursday, April 16.