Nearly two years after filming the Hallmark Channel rom-com “Love in the Great Smoky Mountains,” co-stars Arielle Kebbel and Zach Roerig, both 40, have made it clear they’re a real-life couple.
The actors have a long history together, given that Kebbel appeared periodically on “The Vampire Diaries,” which Roerig starred in from 2009 to 2017, per IMDb. But until attendees at a “Vampire Diaries” fan convention filmed and shared video of Roerig professing his love for Kebbel at an event in early April 2025, the couple had not disclosed their romance publicly.
New Video Shows Arielle Kebbel & Zach Roerig Kissing In Front of Fans
On April 6, multiple fans shared videos of Roerig and Kebbel — who played Matt and Lexi in “The Vampire Diaries” — at a meet-and-greet that was part of the I Was Feeling Epic 3 convention held in Covington, Georgia.
In one video, seen above, Roerig surprised Kebbel with a giant bouquet of flowers at the event. Looking shocked, she then wrapped her arms around him for a long, sweet kiss and the fans gathered cheered for them.
Before handing her the flowers, Roerig could be heard speaking to fans about Kebbel. The beginning of his statement was cut off before he said that he got to “meet this woman, fall in love with her, and get to work with her.” On April 7, Kebbel commented on the video with three red heart emoji.
In another video shared by fan account TVD Brasilrn, Kebbel and Roerig could be seen having fun with fans at the meet-and-greet, which included a painting lesson. In one photo, Kebbel was seen with her arm around Roerig, who was seated at a table with fans.
Arielle Kebbel & Zach Roerig Filmed Their Hallmark Channel Romance in June 2023
“Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance” premiered on Hallmark Channel in September 2023. According to Hallmark’s synopsis, Roerig and Kebbel play former sweethearts who “reunite at an archeological dig in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” working together as they compete for the same research grant.
It’s not known if Roerig and Kebbel reconnected while making the movie or if they were already in touch beforehand. The movie was filmed in June 2023 throughout the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, according to Knox News, including Fall Creek Falls State Park, Abrams Falls in Cades Cove, the Cherokee Caverns hiking trail, and along a stretch of Highway 129 known as “The Dragon.”
A blooper reel released at the time showed Kebbel and Roerig having a blast goofing off on the set, clearly comfortable with each other.
The movie marked Roerig’s Hallmark debut, but Kebbel had already appeared in multiple movies on the network, including 2012’s “A Bride for Christmas” and 2015’s “A Bridal Wave” — both co-starring Andrew Walker — and 2019’s “A Brush With Love” alongside Nick Bateman.
Hallmark Channel plans to re-air “Love in the Great Smoky Mountains” on April 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern time and it can be streamed on Hallmark+.
Kebbel currently stars on FOX’s “Rescue: HI-Surf,” while Roerig starred in the feature film “Day of Reckoning” released on March 28 and will appear in the Netflix series “The Waterfront” this summer, per IMDb.