Ian Somerhalder has opened up about the financial crisis that forced him to walk away from one of television’s most lucrative careers, and sell houses, paintings, cars and watches to claw his way back.

The Vampire Diaries star told E! News that fraud and a badly built business left him and his wife Nikki Reed in an eight-figure hole, meaning the debt ran to at least $10 million. 

“I left an insanely lucrative career in television after financial upheaval from building a business that I didn’t build properly. And due to fraud, it put my wife and I into an eight-figure hole. Eight figures is a hard hole to climb out of. But Nikki and I did it. You know, she really negotiated us out of this deal but we sold houses, paintings, cars, watches, everything.”

He was candid about the painful irony of the situation. 

“I should’ve been retiring off of one of the biggest TV shows in the world [instead of] starting companies that were not gonna pay me possibly ever,” he said.

Somerhalder retired from acting seven years ago, after his Netflix series V Wars was cancelled in 2020. 

Before that, he had spent years as one of television’s most recognisable faces, first as Boone Carlyle on Lost, then as vampire Damon Salvatore across all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries on The CW.

He has previously credited Reed, whom he married in 2015, with saving him from what he called a “true nightmare.” 

In an Instagram post at the time, he wrote that she had “devoted her life to getting me out of that mess and it almost killed her along the way. I am where I am BECAUSE of this woman.”

Looking back on the decision to leave acting, Somerhalder expressed no regret. 

“I remember sitting with my management talking about this, saying, ‘Hey, this is the only thing I’ve ever known that’s ever sustained my family, and I’m walking away from it,’ at this sort of peak. I would much rather do this than go spend two months in some city, shooting a TV show away from my family. Once you reach a certain level, you’re like, ‘Okay, I want to focus on family and the future of farming and food and energy and the big things.’ I don’t need to chase awards and anything that would make me feel better about myself.”

A former Harvard scientist, who was convicted in America for lying to U.S. officials regarding payments from China, has rebuilt a high-profile brain-computer interface research lab in China.

The 67-year-old American scientist was found guilty of lying to officials about his ties with the Chinese state program to recruit overseas talent and spend two days in prison and six months under house arrest.

The scientist, Charles Lieber, a once-prominent nanoscience researcher at Harvard University, is now leading China’s state-backed i-BRAIN initiative in Shenzhen.

Lieber’s return to active research marks a dramatic turnaround for a figure once considered one of the world’s leading minds in nanoscale science.

In China, he now oversees work on brain-computer interface (BCI) systems technology designed to translate brain activity into digital commands that can control external devices such as robotic systems or computers. His work reignited global debate over how far advanced neurotechnology could go in the future of medicine and warfare.

According to the project’s description, the lab is developing non-invasive and advanced neural interface systems aimed at enabling communication between the human brain and machines.

The research is part of China’s broader push to become a global leader in next-generation neurotechnology.

China has already elevated brain-computer interfaces to a national strategic priority, with government-backed institutions investing heavily in the field and pushing for rapid commercialization.

Some trials in the country are exploring how BCIs could help patients with paralysis regain movement, while others examine broader human-machine interaction systems.

Lieber’s lab operates within the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, where he has access to advanced nanofabrication tools and specialized research infrastructure. Chinese officials have positioned the facility as part of a wider effort to attract top global scientific talent into strategic technology sectors.

The development also comes amid growing U.S.-China competition over advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum systems, and neuroengineering. U.S. officials have previously warned that such technologies could have dual-use implications, spanning both civilian healthcare and military modernization.

Lieber has not publicly commented in detail on his new role, but has previously said his scientific goal is to advance cutting-edge research in brain interfaces and nanotechnology.

Olivia Rodrigo gave fans the first glimpse into her Saturday Night Live appearance in the teaser for her double duty episode.

The 23-year-old pop superstar appeared in a Devil Wears Prada-esque sketch with the SNL cast members where she appeared to be caught up in a “glorified secretary” position like Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs.

SNL star James Austin Johnson took on Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly role as he lectured Rodrigo on her mistakenly calling SNL “skits” instead of “sketches.”

The drivers license hitmaker will be taking on the role of host for the first time and musical guest for the third time this Saturday, May 2.

Rodrigo will appear on the weekend show to promote her upcoming album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which will be released on June 12.

The Vampire songstress is believed to perform her latest release, Drop Dead, from the album, while some fans also speculate that she might debut an unreleased song during the episode.

While the SNL episode has sparked a lot of buzz, Rodrigo’s fans are also excited for the Unravel Tour ever since she made the announcement on social media.