Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes and more Outer Banks stars manage to keep the romance alive offscreen — and their real-life love stories make fans go wild.
The Netflix series became a major hit when it premiered in April 2020, and soon after, viewers began to wonder whether sparks were flying between Sarah and John B. (played by Cline and Stokes, respectively) off camera.
Two months later, Stokes and Cline made their relationship Instagram official. Though their characters’ chemistry is undeniable, it wasn’t until the pair quarantined together during the coronavirus pandemic that their feelings for each other grew more serious.
“I think we were just so invested in the work,” Stokes told Us Weekly exclusively in February 2021. “The biggest thing for me is being even more proud of her work now as her partner and watching her grow as an actress and watching her grow as a person through this. I think there’s always this element of [asking] ‘How can we make it not about Maddie and Chase?’”
Us ultimately confirmed in November 2021 that the pair split after one year of dating.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the Outer Banks cast and their love lives:
Madelyn Cline
Cline fell hard for Stokes while filming the Netflix series, and after plenty of speculation, the twosome confirmed their romance in June 2020. Us confirmed one year later in November 2021 that Cline and Stokes split.
The Glass Onion star moved on with Zack Bia and Jackson Guthy. Us broke the news in September 2023 that Cline had started seeing Pete Davidson but the romance later fizzled out.
Chase Stokes
Before making his Hollywood dreams come true, Stokes dated high school sweetheart Xiomara Montalvo, but the pair ultimately called it quits. “I went through a breakup a little bit before [COVID-19] quarantine, and it was with somebody I’d been with for almost 10 years,” the actor told New York Magazine‘s The Strategist in May 2020, one month before making his relationship with Cline Instagram official.
The twosome ultimately called it quits. The Stranger Things alum later moved on with Kelsea Ballerini.
Rudy Pankow
After months of speculation about his relationship with Outer Banks assistant Elaine Siemek, Pankow confirmed their romance while slamming “disrespect and harassment” she receives from online trolls.
“Accusing someone you don’t know of being abusive and manipulative is not ok, especially when you don’t know the relationship personally,” the actor wrote in August 2021 via Instagram. “I’m very happy in the relationship I’m in. I know I might not actively show it on social platforms just how happy we are together, but this is my personal decision to keep most of those moments for myself. To those who are creating such displeasure and opinions about the one I love and my relationship, it’s time to stop. In this era of social engagement and enlightenment I want to express the importance to spread positivity and needing to know when it is unfair to express your own distaste for something or someone, especially when you can do it behind an anonymous identity.”
Madison Bailey
The North Carolina native opened up about her pansexual identity in June 2020 and revealed her relationship with Mariah Linney, a University of North Carolina Charlotte women’s basketball player, the same month. “I have very accepting friends, a very accepting family, an industry that’s very welcoming and very accepting,” Bailey said during a virtual Q&A at the time. “Being open and honest feels so good.”
Jonathan Daviss
Like Pankow, not much is known about the Texas native’s offscreen love life — but his Instagram account is filled with family, friends and his swoon-worthy singing voice.
Austin North
While he doesn’t appear to have a special someone in his life at the moment, North was previously linked to Sadie Robertson. The Duck Dynasty alum told Us exclusively in August 2018 that the duo went their separate ways after four months together. “It just didn’t work out,” she admitted at the time.
Charles Esten
His younger costars may still be searching for The One, but Esten found his long ago. The Nashville alum has been married to college sweetheart Patty Esten since 1991 and the pair share three children.
Drew Starkey
Starkey was previously linked to Knives and Skin actress Claire VanDerLinden in 2014. He has since sparked romance rumors with Odessa A’zion.
Carlacia Grant
The newcomer has remained tight-lipped about her personal life after joining the show as Cleo.
