When someone returns after a long absence and is greeted with remarks about their waist size, it can be subtly upsetting. That’s exactly what Steven R. McQueen did at the Forever Mystic Falls Fan Meet 7 in Paris at the beginning of October 2026. Within hours, the clips were making the rounds online with a familiar, ugly energy that the internet has never quite been able to shake.
Some fans who remembered the slender, dark-haired teenager from The Vampire Diaries’ early seasons hardly recognized McQueen, who played Jeremy Gilbert for more than ten years. The comparison images began to show up. The comment sections were full. As is often the case in these circumstances, the conversation quickly divided into two groups: those who were incensed that anyone gave a damn about his appearance and those who couldn’t stop talking about it.
It’s worth taking a quick step back. McQueen is 37 years old. Almost seventeen years ago, in 2009, the show made its debut. The body that people appear to be lamenting belonged to a man in his early twenties, and it was captured on camera using professional lighting and a crew whose sole responsibility was to make actors appear a certain way. He was never in that state of being permanently. It was a show.
Fans in Paris noticed more than just the weight gain; it was more difficult to pinpoint. A number of commentators on the video said that his eyes appeared “sad” or “distant.” No one gains that much weight without a reason, according to one observer, who wrote that it was clear something had happened to him. Simple body-shaming is not the same as that type of observation. Even though the way it was expressed wasn’t always elegant, it reads more like concern. People who grew up watching this show seem to have an odd, misplaced sense of ownership over the performers. That does not justify the commentary. However, it clarifies a portion of the impulse.
Online rumors and fan conjecture indicate that McQueen has struggled with depression in recent years, which may have worsened following personal setbacks. The majority of people who have taken antidepressants and mood-related medications are aware that these drugs can significantly alter one’s weight, even if they don’t always publicly associate them with celebrities. If that’s a part of what transpired here, what appears to strangers on the internet to be an inexplicable metamorphosis may actually be the outward manifestation of someone engaging in a serious, private fight away from cameras.
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that McQueen’s true supporters were the ones who went to Paris, met him at the table, and took pictures. Several attendees noted that it takes a certain level of bravery to attend a convention after years of being out of the spotlight. It’s not nothing to face hundreds of people who remember you at your most picturesque, to know that the cameras will be rolling, and to know that the clips will be posted online. It probably required more bravery than the majority of those who type hurtful remarks will put in all year.
Steven McQueen isn’t the main topic of discussion here. It’s about the notion that a public figure’s body is open for public evaluation whenever they reappear, which is something we’ve all quietly agreed to normalize. It occurs with women all the time, so persistently that it is no longer noticeable. There is still a glimmer of surprise when it occurs to men, as though the rules shouldn’t be applied equally in some way. Of course they do. And the brutality strikes with equal force.
McQueen doesn’t owe anyone anything, and he hasn’t publicly addressed any of this. He arrived. He got to know the people who genuinely appreciate what he did for that show. It is up to him to decide whether or not to share his story on his own timeline, regardless of what he has been carrying for the past few years or what the weight gain symbolizes, either emotionally or medically. Giving him space to do that is the least that anyone else could do.
FAQs
Q1: Why did Steven R. McQueen gain weight?
Fans speculate depression and medication likely contributed to his noticeable physical changes.
Q2: Where did Steven R. McQueen make his public appearance in 2026?
He attended Forever Mystic Falls Fan Meet 7 in Paris, October 3–4.
Q3: How old is Steven R. McQueen in 2026?
He turned 37 in July 2026.
Q4: How have fans responded to the body-shaming comments?
Many defenders argued his courage in returning publicly matters far more than his appearance.
Q5: Has Steven R. McQueen responded to the online criticism?
He has made no public statement and owes no one an explanation.
