Who Is Natalie Kuckenburg, Paul Wesley’s Fiancée?

As one of the leads in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley became internationally recognized around the world. The 43-year-old actor has been romantically linked to a number of celebrities, including his first wife, Pretty Little Liars star Torrey DeVitto, and actress Phoebe Tonkin. After splitting from his second wife, Ines de Ramon, in 2022, Wesley found love again with Natalie Kuckenburg. The couple got engaged in 2025 after three years of dating. Here’s everything you need to know about Paul Wesley’s fiancée.

Kuckenburg is a German-Brazilian model signed to Iconic Management, who has walked the runway for the likes of Balmain and Philipp Plein. Born in Hanover, Germany, her modeling career started when she was signed by an agency in São Paulo at age 13, after being discovered in a mall while living in Brazil, according to Marie Claire International. She has since appeared in a plethora of fashion editorials and on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Brasil.

Paul Wesley and Natalie Kuckenburg at Victoria’s Secret’s celebration of The Tour ’23 on Sept. 6, 2023.

Alongside her modeling career, Kuckenburg appears to be passionate about supporting women via charitable endeavors. As noted by Iconic Management, the model is “deeply passionate about climate change and environmental issues,” and launched “Nareia, a brand and charity creating handmade, organic crochet pieces by women in northern Brazil.”

In her interview with Marie Claire International in April 2025, Kuckenburg recalled a crucial piece of advice her mother gave her, which helped her embrace a career in the public eye. “I was very shy, but she told me to overcome my shyness if I wanted to succeed and pursue what I wanted,” Kuckenburg told the outlet. Despite finding acclaim around the world, the model remains humble, telling the publication, “I don’t consider myself famous...I’m still who I’ve always been.”

In September 2022, a representative for Wesley and his second wife, de Ramon, told People, “The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago.” A month prior to the former couple’s announcement, the star of The Vampire Diaries was photographed in New York with Kuckenburg. At the time, the model was 22 years old, while Wesley had recently turned 40.

The Smallville actor finalized his divorce from de Ramon—who has also moved on—in February 2024; Wesley’s ex was first linked to Brad Pitt in December 2022, People reported.

While appearing on LIVE with Kelly and Mark on Sept. 1, 2025, Wesley revealed that he’d first met Kuckenburg “at a bar” in New York City’s East Village. “That’s rare these days, I guess, because everyone’s, you know, meeting online and all these dating apps,” the actor explained. “It was just like the classic, pretty girl at a bar. There was a little look and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna go for it.’” He also noted that they had a “mutual friend,” which made their meet-cute a lot less “awkward.”

While speaking to Marie Claire International in April 2025, Kuckenburg revealed that she grew up speaking Portuguese, even while living in Germany, as her mother is Brazilian. Being bilingual has since been invaluable in the model’s relationship with Wesley, as she explained, “[I]t’s quite natural for me to speak German with my father, Portuguese with my brothers, and translate between Paul and my mother. This was part of my life growing up.” Discussing her heritage, Kuckenburg said, “I think it’s cool to have this connection with Brazilians, precisely to show that I haven’t changed compared to when I lived in Brazil.”

In the same interview, the runway model shared her desire to introduce her fiancé to “things that are not so well known about Brazilian culture abroad,” revealing that she was “trying to convince him” to visit the country. “I want him to meet my family, my grandmother and my aunts and uncles, because it’s much easier for us to go to Brazil,” Kuckenburg explained. “Most of my family doesn’t have visas to visit the United States.”

Nikki Reed, Ian Somerhalder, Natalie Kuckenburg, and Paul Wesley in Aspen on Jan. 13, 2024.

Elaborating on her decision to launch the clothing brand Nareia, she told the outlet, “Brazil has a rich culture, and I’ve always wanted to bring it to Europe, the United States—in short, the whole world. It’s a fashion project that does good. These artisans also receive a portion of the profits from sales and receive recognition from many people, which was previously very rare.”

In a March 2024 interview with People, Wesley opened up about the people who make him laugh the most. “There’s two people that are the funniest people in my life,” the actor explained. “Number one, my dog, and number two, frankly, my girlfriend.” Referencing Kuckenburg, Wesley said, “I think the reason we get along so well is because all we do is laugh, and I think it’s probably one of the most important things in a relationship.”

In an Instagram post celebrating Wesley’s birthday on July 23, 2025, Kuckenburg shared photos and videos from their yacht vacation on the Amalfi Coast. The model paid tribute to the qualities she loves in her boyfriend, captioning the post, “Partner for adventures and only one who keeps up with my neediness.”

On July 19, 2025, Wesley and Kuckenburg announced their engagement after three years of dating. The model shared a photo of her diamond ring on Instagram, revealing that she’d accepted Wesley’s proposal, writing in her caption, “Always and forever.”

Paul Wesley and Natalie Kuckenburg at the US Open on Sept. 6, 2024.

In a subsequent Instagram post, Kuckenburg revealed that Caruso, a Belmond Hotel on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, had played an important role in her romance with the actor. “Paul and me came to this hotel [three] years ago for our very first trip together and immediately fell in love with the place,” the model wrote in her caption. “A charming little town, the most beautiful views of Amalfi, amazing hospitality, cute street cats...the list goes on. Thank you @belmondhotelcaruso for now being part of our story together forever.”

During his appearance on LIVE with Kelly and Mark in September 2025, Wesley revealed that he took Kuckenburg back to the hotel in Italy where they had their first date to propose to her. “It was fantastic,” Wesley told the hosts, sharing that he’d planned the proposal as “a surprise.” Wesley later asked Kuckenburg whether she’d anticipated the proposal, to which she responded, “I kind of had a feeling,” the actor shared. “But she still broke down in tears,” he explained.