Nina Dobrev denies dating Zac Efron, says they're just friends

Nina Dobrev said she is not dating Zac Efron after photographs and videos of the two actors together in Europe prompted romance speculation, telling reporters on Oct. 1 that they are "just mates" and that she is focused on her future. The 36-year-old actor made the comment at Los Angeles International Airport, a week after images and social media posts showed her and the 37-year-old actor aboard a yacht off the Italian coast and attending events with mutual friends in Europe.

The pair were photographed sailing near the island of Sardinia and were among guests at a wedding in the South of France on Sept. 20, according to pictures circulating online. Those images, which show the group laughing and socializing, followed the announcement in mid-September that Dobrev and snowboarder Shaun White had ended their five-year relationship and called off their engagement. Dobrev confirmed to reporters that she is "excited for the future" and added, "the only thing that's guaranteed is change."

People close to Dobrev and White said the split was mutual and not the result of infidelity, and that the couple had simply grown apart after several years together. The relationship began publicly in...