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What Ian Somerhalder, Nikki Reed Said About Leaving Hollywood for Farm Life on January 19, 2024 at 11:53 pm Us Weekly

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Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed firmly stand by their decision to move their family from Hollywood to a farm.

The couple started dating in 2014 and got engaged just six months later. Two years after their 2015 nuptials, Somerhalder and Reed expanded their family with daughter Bodhi. After becoming a mother, Reed suggested that she and Somerhalder move away from Hollywood.

“To be fully transparent about it, I really did not want to be in the public eye anymore,” Reed, who rose to stardom for roles in movies such as Thirteen and Twilight, told Santa Barbara Magazine in 2022. “California has the ability to offer seclusion, but you can also be in driving distance to these major cities at the drop of a hat.”

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Reed, who welcomed a son with Somerhalder in June 2023, discussed the pair’s joint love of animals and sustainability efforts. Their home in the countryside featured rain barrels that catch excess water and hydroponic veggie gardens. In addition to composting, Reed noted that she drinks water from her own well when possible and opted out of having a car. The actress said she prefers hand-me-downs as gifts for her daughter and recycles their clothing.

Related: Celebrities Who Are Committed to Going Green

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It’s easy being green! Jane Fonda, Leonardo DiCaprio and more celebrities have made it their mission to make the world a more eco-friendly place. The Oscar winner and longtime activist has made headlines for her involvement in the Fire Drill Friday protests, kickstarted by Greta Thunberg to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change. […]

“If I could like tell you my dream,” she added at the time, “it would be to achieve total food autonomy, to have zero connection to a supermarket, to city water, to anything like that — to be able to live without relying on any system. So, you know, we’re not too far off from that.”

Somerhalder has also opened up about preferring to live on a farm.

“[I love] walking through the farm with kids and dogs and family,” the actor, who is known for playing Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries, told E! in November 2023. “Every stop, you’re pulling off of trees or off of bushes, pulling up out of the ground and feeding everyone as you’re moving through the farm.”

Scroll on for Somerhalder and Reed’s quotes about choosing the countryside over their careers as actors in Hollywood:

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Making Memories

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“Part of what we really focus on as a household is the idea of being really connected with nature,” Reed told Us Weekly while at the 2nd Annual Environmental Media Association Honors Benefit Gala in September 2019. “My dream would be for [our daughter] to be a farmer.”

Starting Something New

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During an interview in May 2022, Reed reflected on her love for the outdoors, telling People, “Nature is the best form of therapy. And it’s instant — you don’t have to spend six months in nature before you feel it. Go on a hike and release endorphins. Look at a tree instead of the blue light on your phone. All of our souls need a dose of that kind of medicine.”

Reed confirmed that her life on the farm inspired a step back from acting.

“It was a very scary pivot for me to leave the only career I had ever known, that I had worked in since I was 13, to try something new,” she added. “But I learned a lot about what’s important to me. A lot of things that came with a Hollywood lifestyle, there isn’t synergy with the priorities I now have in my life and with the people I want to surround myself with.”

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Related: Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder’s Relationship Timeline

Friends before lovers! Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder didn’t waste any time taking the next step in their relationship, getting engaged in January 2015 just six months after they started dating. Take a look back at their whirlwind romance and their cutest gush-worthy moments!

Finding Joy in Their New Home

That same month, Somerhalder pointed out that his and Reed’s move to the countryside was a long time coming for them.

“At the end of the day, we are farm people. Our cars and our boots are covered in dust, horsehair, and tack — and we love it. The life that we have both lived in the entertainment industry and the life that we are creating are vastly different,” he told New Beauty. “The life we thrive in and the life we want to create for our daughter is one of peace, tranquility and nature. Or, at least a nice balance. When mom and dad have to work in the city, the family makes city life fun.”

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Somerhalder admitted the duo needed a break from Hollywood after hustling for years.

“I’ve been on the road since I was 16, so has my wife. I think we both have always yearned to live off the land, in a place that’s our land — and that is exactly what we have set out to do and we are doing it,” he concluded. “Our shared love of this life brings us closer together every day and, together, we are building a regenerative and peaceful farm life.”

A New Outlook

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According to Somerhalder, the choice to have a quieter life allowed him and Reed to implement more sustainable efforts.

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“[It’s been] magic. It’s really the way it’s always supposed to have been,” he told People in August 2022. “I think now you’re seeing a lot of people who were working in corporate offices, and you can see it now from a societal standpoint. People are having a really hard time getting back to work. People have realized that their time and the value of their time and the value proposition of time has shifted a bit. Be more engaged, be outdoors more, spend more time with one another.”

The actor said he didn’t “plan on being on screen for a long time” despite his successful acting career.

“I think what the pandemic sort of did was show us that moments matter. Birthdays matter. Holidays matter. These small little granular moments with one another really matter,” he added. “And that is why Nikki and I find that rural or even urban/rural lifestyle — which I think a lot of people are getting into, whether it’s permaculture, building food forests — we’re past the point of just thinking that we’re going to stop all this by not using plastic straws and driving electric cars.”

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Related: Celebrity Couples Who Prove That Love Isn’t Dead

In light of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s headline-making split on Tuesday, September 20, Us Weekly rounded up some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrity couples who prove that love isn’t dead — see who made the cut!

Their New Normal

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“I’m an aspiring farmer — literally. I wish I could give it all up to live in nature with the animals. I’m sort of pulled between two worlds, which is the life of a crazy-busy businesswoman, and then someone who really wants to create that quiet time,” Reed told New Beauty in January 2023. “Animals and nature are my peace. That’s where I thrive. … Right now, raising babies is the most important thing for me.”

No Regrets

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After hinting at his departure from acting, Somerhalder elaborated on the benefits, telling E! News in January 2023, “I love what I did for a really long time. I love making films, I just did it for so long. We had an amazing run. But this is our 2.0 version — about to be 3.0 version.”

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Andrew Toth/Getty Images Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed firmly stand by their decision to move their family from Hollywood to a farm. The couple started dating in 2014 and got engaged just six months later. Two years after their 2015 nuptials, Somerhalder and Reed expanded their family with daughter Bodhi. After becoming a mother, Reed 

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Jennifer Lopez’s Ex Fires Back: “You Are the Problem”

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Ojani Noa Accuses J.Lo of Cheating After “Never Been Loved” Comments

Jennifer Lopez is once again at the center of a media storm — but this time, it’s her first husband, Ojani Noa, turning up the heat. Following Lopez’s recent Howard Stern Show interview, in which she claimed she has “never been truly loved” by any of her exes, Noa has publicly accused the superstar of cheating and playing the victim.

In the viral Instagram post that has now spread across major outlets like TMZ and New York Post, Noa didn’t hold back.

“Stop putting us down. Stop putting me down with your victim card,” he wrote. “The problem is not us. Not me. The problem is you. You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

“You Chose Fame and Lies Over Love”

Noa and Lopez were married briefly from 1997 to 1998, before her rise to Hollywood superstardom. In his explosive statement, he accused her of being unfaithful during their marriage, claiming she prioritized fame over their relationship.

“You have been loved a few times. You’ve been married four times. And have had countless relationships in between,” Noa continued. “You decided to lie, to cheat on me. You begged me to keep the marriage intact to avoid bad press.”

Noa described himself as “faithful, honest, and loving,” saying he uprooted his life and career to support Lopez at the beginning of her entertainment journey. “I left my family, my friends, everything behind for you,” he wrote, “but once fame came calling, you left me behind.”​

Lopez Silent Amid Growing Backlash

As of now, Jennifer Lopez has not publicly responded to Noa’s allegations. During her Howard Stern interview, the singer and actress claimed her former partners “weren’t capable” of loving her, saying, “It’s not that I’m not lovable… it’s that they’re not capable.”

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Her remarks were widely interpreted as referencing all of her ex-husbands — including Marc Anthony, Cris Judd, and Ben Affleck — but it was Noa who reacted first and most forcefully. His comments have ignited widespread debate online, with many questioning whether Lopez’s honesty came at the expense of others’ reputations.

Public Response and Media Fallout

The online reaction has been intense, with social media users split between defending Lopez’s right to share her truth and blasting her for allegedly rewriting history. Meanwhile, entertainment analysts note that the controversy adds to an increasingly turbulent year for the singer, following canceled tours, underperforming films, and ongoing scrutiny over her marriage to Affleck.

This latest backlash has also reignited conversations about Lopez’s highly publicized romantic history. As tabloids and fans speculate whether more exes might respond, the situation underscores an old truth in celebrity culture — that every candid confession comes with consequences.

For now, Jennifer Lopez remains silent. But in the court of public opinion, the debate about who’s really at fault in her love story is only just beginning.

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Selling Your Soul in Hollywood: The Hidden Cost of Fame

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By all appearances, Hollywood is a dream factory — a place where charisma, talent, and luck collide to create stars. But behind the camera lights and red carpets lies a conversation few inside the industry speak openly about: the spiritual and moral price of ambition.

For actor Omar Gooding, the idea of “selling your soul” in Hollywood isn’t a metaphor — it’s a moral process that begins with tiny compromises. In an October 2025 interview, Gooding explained that no one in Hollywood makes a literal deal with the devil. Instead, it’s the quiet yeses, the moments when comfort overrides conviction, that mark the beginning of the trade. “They don’t say, ‘Take this or you’ll never make it,’” he said. “They just put it in front of you. You choose.”

Those choices, he argues, create a pattern. Once you show that you’ll accept something you once resisted, the industry notices. “Hollywood knows who it can get away with what,” Gooding said. “One thing always leads to another.” The phrase “selling your soul,” in this context, means losing your say — doing what you’re told rather than what you believe in.

That moral tension has long shadowed the arts. Comedians like Dave Chappelle, who famously walked away from millions to preserve his creative integrity, often serve as examples of where conviction and career collide. In resurfaced interviews, Chappelle hinted that he felt manipulated and silenced by powerful figures who sought control of his narrative, warning that “they’re trying to convince me I’m insane.”

This isn’t just about conspiracy — it’s about agency. Hollywood runs on perception. Performers are rewarded for being agreeable, moldable, entertaining. Those who question the machine or refuse the script risk exile, while those who conform are elevated — sometimes beyond what they can handle.

We see the ‘collections’ all the time,” Gooding explained. “When the bill comes due, you can tell. They made that deal long ago.”

But the story doesn’t end in darkness. Gooding also emphasizes that in today’s entertainment landscape, artists have more control than ever. With streaming, social media, and creator‑driven platforms, performers don’t have to “play the game” to be seen. Independent creators can build their own stages, speak their own truths, and reach millions without trading authenticity for access.

Still, the temptation remains — recognition, validation, quick success. And every generation of artists must answer the same question: What are you willing to do for fame?

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As Gooding put it, “You just make the best choices you can. Because once it’s gone — your name, your peace, your soul — there’s no buying it back.”

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California Bans AI Clones from Replacing Real Talent

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California just made a dramatic stand for human creativity, defeating the threat of AI actor clones with a sweeping new law that puts people—not algorithms—back in the Hollywood spotlight. With the stroke of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pen in October 2025, the state has sent a clear message to studios, tech companies, and the world: entertainment’s heart belongs to those who create and perform, not to digital facsimiles.

California Draws a Hard Line: No More AI Clones

For months, the entertainment industry has been divided over the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. Studios, lured by promises of cost-cutting and creative flexibility, have invested in software that can mimic an actor’s face, voice, and even emotional range. But for performers, this wave of synthetic reproduction has triggered alarm—encouraged by chilling stories of deepfakes, unauthorized digital doubles, and contracts that let studios reuse a star’s likeness indefinitely, sometimes without pay or approval.

The new California law, anchored by AB 2602 and AB 1836, changes everything:

  • Every contract must explicitly detail how studios can use digital replicas or voice models, preventing once-common “blank check” agreements that overlooked this risk.
  • No one—not studios nor streaming giants—can create or release AI-generated clones of an actor, living or dead, without clear, written consent from the performer or their estate.
  • The law gives families new powers to defend loved ones from posthumous deepfake exploitation, closing painful loopholes that once let virtual versions of late icons appear in new ads, films, or games.

Actors Celebrate a Major Victory

The legislation rides the momentum of the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, where real-life talent demanded control over their own digital destinies. Leaders say these protections will empower artists to negotiate fair contracts and refuse participation in projects that cross ethical lines, restoring dignity and choice in an industry threatened by silent algorithms.

Stars, unions, and advocacy groups are hailing the law as the most robust defense yet against unwanted AI replications.

As one actor put it, “This isn’t just about money—it’s about identity, legacy, and respect for real artists in a synthetic age.”

A New Chapter for the Entertainment Industry

California’s move isn’t just a victory for local talent—it’s a warning shot to studios everywhere. Companies will now be forced to rethink production pipelines, consult legal counsel, and obtain proper clearance before digitally cloning anyone. Global entertainment platforms and tech developers will need to comply if they want to do business in the world’s entertainment capital.

These laws also set a template likely to ripple through other creative fields, from musicians whose voices can be synthesized to writers whose work could be mimicked by generative AI. For now, California performers finally have a powerful shield, ready to fight for the right to shape their own public image.

Conclusion: Human Talent Takes Center Stage

With its no-nonsense ban on AI actor clones, California draws a bold line, championing the work, likeness, and very humanity of its creative stars. It’s a landmark step that forces the entertainment industry to choose: respect real talent, or face real consequences. The age of the consentless digital double is over—human performers remain the true source of Hollywood magic.

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