'The Vampire Diaries' reportedly facing cancellation; Ian Somerhalder blames Nina Dobrev?

The drop in numbers for the CW's "The Vampire Diaries" has sparked rumours that the show will soon be cancelled if the numbers do not improve.

Season 7 of the vampire drama has seen a significant drop in the numbers, just averaging 1.2 million viewers, whereas some of the earlier seasons boasted double the number. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, the show being shifted to Friday nights could have been a cause for the drop in numbers. The show's target is younger audience and they are not likely to sit at home and watch television on Friday nights, noted Celeb Dirty Laundry.

Another possibility is Nina Dobrev's departure from the show. As soon as she announced her decision to leave post Season 6, a good number of fans took to social networking sites to announce their decision to stop watching the show. And it looks like they have kept their word.

Although Dobrev said she was quitting the show to pursue other projects, rumours swirling around at the time hinted at the actress having issues with Ian Somerhalder and his then fiancée Nikki Reed.

Somerhalder and Dobrev were romantically involved for about three years before they split in 2013. Dobrev and Somerhalder are said to have remained friends since the split, but his decision to date Reed, who was Dobrev's friend, is said to have caused a strain between "The Vampire Diaries" co-stars. Reed's constant presence in Georgia, where the show was being filmed, was also said to be a cause for concern.

Now, Celeb Dirty Laundry wonders if Somerhalder and his other cast members blame Dobrev for leaving the show and "leaving them high and dry?" Rumours state that "The Vampire Diaries" will be cancelled after the current season and most of the cast members will move on to "The Originals."

However, Somerhalder "may soon be out of a job," according to Celeb Dirty Laundry, as he wouldn't fit in "The Originals" because the show already has tons of male leads.