'Vampire Diaries' Star Ian Somerhalder Gushes about Girlfriend Nikki Reed on Instagram

The relationship of "The Vampire Diaries" actor Ian Somerhalder and his girlfriend Nikki Reed seems to be heating up, as the two continue to spend quality time together in the midst of their busy schedules.

Recently, Somerhalder uploaded on his Instagram account a picture of him and Reed posing with their dogs, with a caption: "A day with 3 of the most beautiful ladies in the universe. Wow smiling is such a beautiful part of the human experience-I highly recommend it."

While the actor seems to be moving on from his failed romance with "The Vampire Diaries" co-star Nina Dobrev, a number of fans are yet to accept Reed as his girlfriend, and they have even voiced their objection online.

Over the weekend, Somerhalder went on an online rant when a few of his fans said that they hated Reed.

 "You HATE NIKKI REED? Really? Do you know her? Hmmmm, I'm not sure that you do. Look on her Instagram feed or twitter and all you will see is a compassionate and beautiful human being," he wrote, according to E! News. "Please put your negative energy elsewhere. You don't even know the person you're talking about."

Somerhalder added that if his fans cared for him, then they should be happy with his relationship with Reed, who has been a long-time friend of the actor. "If you hate Nikki then you must hate me…That's sad. Have an amazing day!" he concluded.

Ever since news of Somerhalder's relationship with Reed broke in July, a number of reports have come out claiming that his former girlfriend Dobrev was leaving "The Vampire Diaries," as Somerhalder was reportedly rubbing his new relationship in Dobrev's face.

This has upset a lot of loyal "The Vampire Diaries" fans who believed that the drama in the lead actors' relationship was affecting the show.

Adding fuel to fire, a recent Celeb Dirty Laundry report too noted that writers of the show have changed the romance of Elena and Damon, the characters portrayed by Dobrev and Somerhalder, to focus on Elena's relationship with Stefan. This was done so to avoid the awkwardness between the two actors, especially now that Somerhalder is in a relationship with Reed, "and loves rubbing his relationship with her in everyone's faces," the report noted.

It is not yet sure if there is any truth to these claims, but in recent times, rumours of Dobrev quitting the show have only gained momentum, and the actor is yet to speak dispel these reports.