NEWS'Outer Banks' Costars Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow Never 'Had a Falling Out' as Feud Rumors Swirl: Source
Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow never had a rift despite ongoing fan speculation, a source revealed.
While fans speculated Outer Banks costars Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow are feuding, a source has now set the record straight.
Amid ongoing rumors of tension between the two, an insider revealed to a news outlet that Bailey and Pankow never actually “had a falling out.”
Madison Bailey plays Kiara Carrera on the Netflix teen drama series.
It all began after the two dined together in Charleston, S.C., where the show films some of its scenes, with Pankow's girlfriend, Elaine Siemek.
Following the outing, Bailey and her girlfriend, Mariah Linney, unfollowed Siemek on social media, leading Siemek to unfollow them, and Pankow unfollowing Linney.
As Outer Banks released Part 2 of Season 4 on Netflix in November, eagle-eyed fans noticed the actors' intimate scenes were played by body doubles.
"The camera cuts," one wrote on X, while another added, "Making it so obvious she was laying on that stunt double."
"The camera cuts, Shonda [Shonda Rhimes] would've killed both characters off the moment they opened their mouth to complain," a third added, referring to Grey's Anatomy executive producer and head writer.
Rudy Pankow is most known for his role as JJ Maybank on 'Outer Banks.'
Bailey, 25, and Pankow have been working together since 2020, portraying Kiara "Kie" Carrera and JJ Maybank, respectively.
Amid speculation of a rift, some fans criticized them for allegedly not putting their drama aside on set.
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"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," one user wrote.
A second chimed in, writing, "I was so excited for the cuddle scene by the campfire only to find out Rudison had stunt doubles for it. I'm baffled this is genuinely insane I've never in my life heard of a show with actors that behaved this way how can you be this unprofessional to ruin your own fan loved characters."
Despite the sticky situation, Bailey previously gushed over her and Pankow’s on-screen characters in an interview, stating that their roles had a "seamless transition" from best friends to lovers.
"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."
Madison Bailey said portraying her role with Rudy Pankow in the series 'came pretty naturally.'
Meanwhile, Pankow, 26, also opened up about portraying JJ on the show in a recent interview with Netflix.
"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," Pankow said. "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."
Netflix just released 'Outer Banks' Season 4 Part 2 on November 7.
As [SPOILER] Pankow's character dies during the Season 4 finale while battling his biological father, Chandler Groff, played by J. Anthony Crane, reports surfaced that multiple endings were filmed to keep Pankow's character until the final season.
However, co-creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke confirmed to Tudum on Friday, November 8, that Pankow's character was always intended to die.
The source spoke to People.
