The rumors about Nina Dobrev dating Chris Wood is reportedly a mere publicity stunt to throw off the press of the real score between "The Vampire Diaries" actress and her alleged boyfriend Mark Foster.

At least that's what Celebrity Dirty Laundry suggested as it reported that Ian Somerhalder's ex girlfriend Nina Dobrev just didn't want to lie and deny that about her relationship to Mark Foster.

The tabloid said that Nina Dobrev dating Chris Wood is "too convenient" to be believable.

"Nina Dobrev and Mark Foster gossip gets louder and louder, and suddenly Nina has a hot new boyfriend that just happens to be her co-star?" it added. "Please, our cynical brains can't process that without suspecting something."

This is reportedly the reason why Nina Dobrev's Instagram is teeming with posts of photographs showing her getting cozy with "The Vampire Diaries" co-star Chris Wood, because she doesn't want to be confronted with the Mark Foster rumors and outright deny they are dating because it's true "and she would be lying."

Allegedly, there's also another reason why Nina Dobrev wants the world to know she's dating Chris Wood.

According to Inquisitr, Nina Dobrev's "relationship with Mark Foster could mean trouble for the show if Somerhalder gets upset about his friend dating his ex-girlfriend."

"Maybe one day in the future Nina and Ian can get back to being friends, but as for now, it seems it may be important for them to maintain a professional relationship - and nothing more," the website added.

Meanwhile, Hollywood Life said that Nina Dobrev dating Chris Wood wouldn't be too surprising since they have a long history together. "They are great friends who have hooked up on the recent times they have been out together but they are not currently looking to start a relationship. They are both very cool about it and it has not ruined working with each other or caused any issues," the source said.