Nina Dobrev leaves 'The Vampire Diaries', fans in meltdown

The Vampire Diaries is losing a major player.

Nina Dobrev, the female lead of the series, announced via Instagram on Monday that she is leaving the show after the sixth season, which is currently airing on The CW.

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In her statement, the actress, who plays Elena Gilbert on the drama, said: "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime."

Dearest TVD Family, I've just spent the most beautiful weekend on Lake Lanier in Georgia with my own TVD Family, the cast and crew of The Vampire Diaries. I want to be the first to tell you that it wasn't just a holiday celebration, it was a goodbye party. I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime. I was a human, a vampire, a doppelganger, a crazy immortal, a doppelganger pretending to be human, a human pretending to be a doppelganger. I got kidnapped, killed, resurrected, tortured, cursed, body-snatched, was dead and undead, and there's still so much more to come before the season finale in May. Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever. There's more to come before we wrap this up, and I promise you'll get to hear all about my experiences over the next month as we approach the season finale (I have given an exclusive interview for the June issue of SELF Magazine that I am excited for you to see!), but until then I invite you to hop on the roller coaster ride that is Elena Gilbert's life and join me as I celebrate her and prepare to say goodbye to her -- and to my work family -- as I move on to the next chapter of my life. I want to share this goodbye with all of you (this weekend's pictures were just the beginning). You, the wonderful fandom who gave more love, support and passion than anyone could have ever imagined seven years ago, when a young Degrassi girl from Canada showed up in LA to audition for 'that Twilight TV show.' ;-) I love you all. Fasten your seatbelts. If you think you know what's coming, you don't. Love, Nina A photo posted by Nina Dobrev (@ninadobrev) on Apr 6, 2015 at 5:01pm PDT

At the start of the series, much of the action centered on Elena's love triangle with two vampire brothers, played by Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. But over the course of the show, the love triangle developed many more sides, Elena became a vampire, and Dobrev found herself playing an ancient doppleganger in addition to her existing role.

As you might expect, the news sent the show's largely young fan base into a tizzy.

So nina just officially announced she's leaving TVD at the end of the series and I'm straight up crying no joke pic.twitter.com/DgAqHsq3qk— gabriela (@gabyybarbosaa) April 7, 2015

harleigh just told me nina is leaving tvd and now im crying in starbucks— bai (@badlands_xx) April 7, 2015

1st Zayn left 1D Now Nina left TVD I'm crying so much my faves— 1D Updates (@1DWWATUpdates) April 7, 2015

Nina leaving TVD is hitting me as hard as When Zayn left 1D I'm crying— Mary (@_MaryAranda) April 7, 2015

JAKE T AUSTIN LEFT THE FOSTERS, ZAYN LEFT 1D, NOW NINA LEAVING TVD, I HATE MY LIFE— z (@omfgzayn) April 7, 2015

Some are even calling on the showrunners to end The Vampire Diaries entirely -- but as Mashable reported, Season 7 has already been ordered.

IMO they should just end the show when Nina leaves. But who knows..— Layne (@laynemorgan) April 7, 2015

She broke my heart.. i'm crying. Nina, love you. CANCEL TVD SEASON 7— No Elena, No TVD (@AlwaysDelena11) April 7, 2015

Creator Julie Plec has also said the series will continue on without Dobrev, focusing on "telling stories of our Salvatore Brothers and our much-loved and gifted ensemble."

T'is true. http://t.co/tDf6SKA8l5— julieplec (@julieplec) April 7, 2015

The Vampire Diaries season 6 finale airs May 14 on The CW.