Many on-screen romances turned into real-life relationships throughout film and TV history, including some of Hollywood’s “it-couples” like Zendaya and Tom Holland or Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. However, like any professional environment, mixing business with pleasure can get complicated quickly.
A recent example unfolded with the hit Netflix show “Outer Banks,” which recently released its fourth season Oct. 10 and part two Nov. 7. While most of the show’s drama revolves around treasure hunts, most fans are more invested in the relationship drama between the characters.
One of the most talked-about couples on the show is John B. (Chase Stokes) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline). Their on-screen romance captivated audiences since the show’s start, and the two also ended up dating in real life.
Stokes and Cline met when filming the first season in 2019. Dating speculations started after the first season dropped in April 2020 after fans noticed the pair flirting on social media and frequently commenting on each other’s posts.
After publicly confirming their relationship on social media, Stokes and Cline dated for a year before calling it quits in November 2021. Despite breaking up, they remained professional on set and stayed friends.
"Mads (Cline) and I have been working together now for 30 episodes, and we made a promise to each other before we even started dating that the work was always going to come first," Stokes said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
However, many of their co-stars followed their lead. Throughout the series, fans “shipped” main characters JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey), who had undeniable chemistry both on and off-screen.
“Rudy is my bestie,” Bailey said in an interview with Access Hollywood in May 2020. “He is the first person I’m going to call out of everybody. We have a lot of chemistry because of that — because we are really good friends.”
But as rumors about their real-life relationship spread, their friendship began to suffer. The pair, both single during the first season, were often seen together, fueling fan speculation.
However, things changed in 2020, Pankow started dating Elaine Siemek, who worked as an assistant on the “Outer Banks.” Around the same time, Bailey announced her relationship on Instagram with Mariah Linney, a former women’s college basketball player, shutting down any rumors that they were dating outside the show.
The rumors allegedly made Pankow and Bailey’s real-life partners uncomfortable. Due to their partners’ jealousy, the two struggled to be on set together and had to use stunt doubles for any romantic scenes.
Many fans pointed out that the pair had to use a stunt double in a scene where Bailey's character is lying on Pankow’s chest in Season 4, Episode 10, which should have been a simple, unproblematic scene to shoot.
Many fans were frustrated by the two actors’ lack of professionalism. They compared their maturity to Stokes and Cline, who dated in real life but are still amicable and can perform romantic scenes without issue.
The feud resulted in Pankow leaving the show, and his character being killed off at the end of the recent season. Whether there’s more behind-the-scenes drama between Pankow and Bailey that has not been revealed, Pankow’s departure from the show is a shocking blow to fans and many are left concerned about the future of the series without his character.
