Nate Buzolic opens up about his breakup from Liya Noga

Nathaniel "Nate" Buzolic, the Australian actor known for The Vampire Diaries and his unwavering support for Israel, has offered a rare glimpse into the end of his relationship with Israeli model Liya Noga.

In an interview with Mako News this week, the 41-year-old spoke candidly about the breakup, which occurred a month ago in early February 2025, tracing its unraveling to the strain of war and the unrelenting pressure of social media exposure. His words carry the weight of a man shaped by conflict—both global and personal—revealing a love that couldn’t withstand the storm.

“You have a best friend for a very, very long time and overnight, they become a stranger,” Buzolic said, his voice tinged with the ache of loss. The relationship, which began in late 2023 during one of his frequent visits to Israel, once held promise—a connection forged amid the chaos of the Israel-Hamas war.

But by February 25, it had dissolved, leaving Buzolic to reckon with its fallout. “It would be better to be off social media with my next relationship,” he reflected. “It’s hard—people look at relationships and they see everything just on social media. It’s not really what’s happening within the relationship.”

For Buzolic, the past year has been a crucible. With 3.1 million Instagram followers, he’s become a prominent voice for Israel, documenting rocket attacks, meeting hostages like Yarden Bibas (as recently as March 2, 2025), and launching his faith-driven podcast Against the Grain in October 2024.

But that advocacy came with a cost. “We had a very difficult relationship because we were dating during a war,” he explained. “I was dealing with very heavy things. I was receiving a lot of hate and a lot of death threats. I’ve absorbed a lot of pain over the past few months. I didn’t realize that this could affect my relationship as well.”

The war’s toll wasn’t abstract—it seeped into his core. Death threats and online vitriol, staples of his pro-Israel stance since October 7, 2023, left scars he hadn’t fully tallied until Noga slipped away. “I didn’t realize that this could affect my relationship as well,” he admitted, a quiet revelation of vulnerability from a man who’s faced down hate with resolve. The couple’s bond, once a refuge, buckled under pressures few could fathom—his pain a silent wedge between them.

Social media, too, played its part, amplifying their struggles. “It puts a lot of pressure on both people when everyone’s watching you,” Buzolic said. “Everyone’s looking for the gossip. One thing I realized is that Israelis love the gossip.” Noga, 22, embraced that openness more than he could. “Liya felt comfortable sharing intimate things,” he noted, “It’s a problem in this generation. Everything is spoken about. Sometimes it’s better not to say anything at all. I think she probably learned some valuable lessons too about what to share and what not to share.”

Looking forward, Buzolic seeks a quieter path. “Ensure we have a strong relationship before the world gets to find out who I’m with,” he said, a pledge to shield his next love from the spotlight that strained this one.

Nate now stands at a crossroads—still committed to Israel, still absorbing its pain, but now acutely aware of how it shapes his personal world. Noga, once his closest friend, is now a stranger, a chapter closed with lessons etched deep. “Sometimes it’s better not to say anything at all,” he concluded, a mantra for a man stepping back from the noise, searching for peace after a love lost to war’s relentless echo.

Mako News contributed to this article.