Outer Banks' Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow Feud Rumors Go Viral: What’s Really Going On (Exclusive Source)

Mar. 15, 2025

Madison Bailey (left) and Rudy Pankow.Photo:Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic; Donato Sardella/Getty

Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic; Donato Sardella/Getty

Warning: this story contains spoilers fromOuter Banks' season 4 part 2 finale.

What’s really going on betweenOuter BanksstarsRudy PankowandMadison Bailey?

As rumors continue to swirl that Pankow and Bailey — who play JJ and Kiara in the Netflix series, respectively — have had a falling out, a source exclusively tells PEOPLE they are not feuding, despite ongoing fan speculation.

Reps for Netflix, Pankow and Bailey did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Rumors about a feud between the two actors began to intensify after multiple fans pointed out online that itappeared the two used body doubles to film a PDA-filled scene they had togetherin season 4.

Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madison Bailey as Kiara.JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX

JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX

WithPankow’s character dyingwhile facing off againsthis biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), in the season 4 part 2 finale, reports also surfaced indicating thatvarious endings were filmed to allow Pankow to stay in the seriesduring itsfifth and final season.

Although the rumors have not been addressed, creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke confirmed to Tudum in anarticlepublished on Friday, Nov. 8 that Pankow’s character was always meant to die.

Madison Bailey as Kiara, Rudy Pankow as JJ.Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

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“It was a really hard decision because he’s such a great piece of the ensemble. It sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season. We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent,” said Josh.

Josh seemingly addressed the cast’s relationship with Pankow, adding in his statement, “JJ’s death was a hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story, and we plan on honoring that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do. And Rudy’s a great friend of ours.”

Cast of ‘Outer Banks’ at the Season 4 Charleston World Premiere on October 08, 2024.Jeff Hahne/Getty

Jeff Hahne/Getty

While the rumors have been following the cast back since season 1, where it is believed that Pankow and Bailey had a falling out, Burke recently toldCosmopolitanthat the creators “thought that one of the Pogues would die almost in the very beginning in season 1, and we were pretty sure it was going to be JJ.”

In addition to the cast doing press for season 4 together,Pankow only had positive thoughts when addressing his departure from the serieswhile speaking to Tudum.

During their interviews for season 4, the cast was also emotional when it came to Pankow’s departure and raved about what he brought to the show, including “a lightheartedness that the show desperately needed,” according to Bailey.

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Outer Banksseasons 1 to 4 are available to stream onNetflix.

source: people.com