PHOTOS'Outer Banks' Drama: 5 Things to Know About Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow's Rumored Rift
'Outer Banks' viewers have been wondering about what might have unfolded behind the scenes, particularly between costars Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow.
Which Characters Do Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow Portray on 'Outer Banks'?
Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow are among the main stars of 'Outer Banks.'
Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow have been working together on Outer Banks since 2020, playing the roles of Kiara "Kie" Carrera and JJ Maybank, respectively.
In a recent interview with Netflix, Pankow opened up about portraying JJ following the series' Season 4 finale.
"For JJ, he has to judge every moment in his life, if it's worth it [to take the risk], and I think it's constantly, yeah, it is for him," said Pankow. "Even throughout the pain and the suffering and the struggles for JJ, it's worth it for him to go to that length. He lives his life to the utmost fullest, and I don't think he regrets any part of it."
Meanwhile, Bailey reflected on their characters' relationship, saying JJ and Kie had a "seamless transition" from best friends to lovers on Outer Banks.
"I think we had an understanding of, like, we aren't John B [Chase Stokes] and Sarah [Madelyn Cline]. They have a different dynamic," Bailey told Decider. "I think we had a lot of fun and just being like, ‘This is still very much a friendship.' And so I think it came pretty naturally."
What Happened Between Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow?
Rumors of a rift emerged after the release of the 'Outer Banks' finale.
Outer Banks viewers have speculated there may have been a rift between Bailey and Pankow throughout Seasons 3 and 4.
Rumors intensified in June 2023 when the cast started filming in Charleston, S.C., where they also had a dinner that included Pankow's girlfriend, Elaine Siemek.
After the night out, Bailey and her girlfriend, Mariah Linney, unfollowed Siemek on social media. When Siemek unfollowed them on Instagram, Pankow also hit the "unfollow" button on Linney's page.
Did 'Outer Banks' Use Body Doubles in Season 4?
Viewers said Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow had seemingly stopped filming together.
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A viral scene from Outer Banks Season 4 fueled rumors about the use of body doubles on set.
"The camera cuts," one wrote on X, while another added, "Making it so obvious she was laying on that stunt double."
A third added, "The camera cuts, Shonda [Shonda Rhimes] would've killed both characters off the moment they opened their mouth to complain."
Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow Were Accused of Being Unprofessional
Netflix and 'Outer Banks' have not yet addressed the speculation.
Amid the rumored rift, fans criticized Bailey and Pankow for allegedly not maintaining a courteous manner while working on set.
One fan wrote, "This is just insane, the fact that Rudy and Madison refused to record it together and they had to use stunt double just shows their unprofessionalism to their work. And they weren't even supposed to be doing anything huge in that scene, just hugging a bit."
"I was so excited for the cuddle scene by the campfire only to find out rudison had stunt doubles for it im baffled this is genuinely insane ive never in my life heard a show with actors that behaved this way how can you be this unprofessional to ruin your own fan loved characters," a second added.
Have Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow Addressed the Rumored Rift?
'Outer Banks' remains one of the most popular Netflix shows despite the recent controversy.
As of press time, neither Bailey nor Pankow has commented on the rumored rift.
