Fans of 'The Vampire Diaries' were devastated when actress Nina Dobrev announced her departure from the TV series after playing the main protagonist for six seasons. The 'Final Girls' star admitted that she wants to pursue other projects and believed that Elena Gilbert's story arc would only be "a six season adventure."

Now that Nina Dobrev is out of the picture, "Delena" fans have turned to Ian Somerhalder in hopes that Elena and Damon would still be together in the future. However, the actor who plays Elena's longtime love Damon Salvatore had little comfort for Delena shippers when he spoke to E! Online on the set of 'The Vampire Diaries.'

"All I can say about that is that they were great characters separate, they were great characters together, and they remain great characters separated," Somerhalder said about Damon and Elena.

"Damon is still here and he's still evolving and he's still having a blast and he's still saying super-smarmy, ridiculously overly confident, very wildly embarrassing and degrading things and he will continue to do that, but with a little love for Elena in his heart," he added.

Ian Somerhalder addressed the possibility of Nina Dobrev's Elena being locked away in a coffin somewhere and how that would make it difficult to keep seeing her. "It's not so great for a relationship," he said. "I would not recommend it."

All kidding aside, Damon Salvatore might find it hard to continue without Elena, but Ian Somerhalder says it's for the best.

"I'm thinking that this is the evolution of the show," he said. "Obviously she is in his heart and he is going to have a very tough time understanding how to go on, but that's what drama's for."

Catch Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore on the seventh season of 'The Vampire Diaries,' which airs on The CW on Thursday nights at 8pm.