Torrey DeVitto Opens Up About Leaving 'The Vampire Diaries' After Divorce from Paul Wesley

"It Was a Really Dark Time"

The actress reveals why she decided to step away from the popular CW series.

Torrey DeVitto is sharing that stepping away from The Vampire Diaries after her divorce from costar Paul Wesley was a "really dark time."

DeVitto and Wesley, who played love interests Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore on the show, were married from 2011 to 2013. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, DeVitto says that she didn't want to return to the show after their split, even though she was offered a chance to do so.

"It was a really dark time and I couldn't imagine going back to work with him," she says. "I was so hurt and I didn't know how I was going to get through it. I just needed to take some time for myself and figure out what I wanted to do with my life."

DeVitto says that she eventually decided to leave the show because she didn't want to be reminded of her marriage to Wesley. "I couldn't be in that environment anymore," she says. "I needed to get away from it all and start fresh."

DeVitto has since moved on and is now happily married to Chicago P.D. star Jesse Lee Soffer. She says that she is grateful for the time she spent on The Vampire Diaries, but she is also glad that she was able to leave when she did.

"It was a great experience and I'm so grateful for it," she says. "But I'm also glad that I was able to move on and find happiness again."