‘Outer Banks’ Costars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline’s Relationship Timeline

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‘Outer Banks’ Costars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline’s Relationship Timeline

Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline had a whirlwind romance that started on the set of Outer Banks. Stokes and Cline were at first coworkers who played love interests. As fans began to root for their characters, they also hoped the pair would get together in real life due to their sizzling onscreen chemistry. “Chase, [our creator] Jonas [Pate] and I all sat down from the get-go and spoke about the relationship. We wanted to make sure it was real and it had depth to it,” Cline told  Seventeen Magazine in May 2020. “There were things that Chase and I specifically added to the script that felt personal. You have to sell it. It's got to be compelling. Thankfully the cast all clicked and we had such great chemistry, so we all had this friendship from the very beginning. So building on that and then projecting it on the screen felt very, very real.” After months of fan speculation, the duo confirmed in June 2020 that they were officially dating. However, Stokes and Cline called it quits just over a year later in November 2021.  Keep scrolling to relive Stokes and Cline's romance:

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

April 2020

Cline opened up about her and Stokes’ characters and how they work with the writers to make their storyline as authentic as they can.

“We have such great writers, and they're very, very receptive to our ideas. I remember there was a point when one asked me, ‘Do you think you, as Sarah Cameron, would choose your family or John B.?’ I remember thinking on it and telling her, ‘I wholeheartedly believe Sarah is 100 percent absolutely head over heels for John B., and I think she absolutely would get on that boat with him,’” Cline told Glamour about the season 1 finale in April 2020. “There's one part in the show when John B. tells Sarah, ‘You're all I have.’ I told the writer that at that point John B. is also all Sarah has. Her world just crumbled around her, so it's a no-brainer that she would have gotten on that boat with him and risked everything.”

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

April 2020

Based on the blooper reel alone, it’s clear the cast of Outer Banks — and Cline and Stokes — had a blast filming the show.

Stokes and Rudy Pankow (JJ) also lived together while filming in Charleston. “On the weekends people would come over, and we would blast music and play games and shoot the s—t,” Stokes told Refinery29. “We just liked being close and we wanted to spend every second of our time together because we were just so thankful for the opportunity at hand. Work didn’t feel like work.”

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April 2020

Us confirmed that Cline and Stokes were staying with Pankow and Drew Starkey (Rafe) amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Credit: @dennisleupold/@1883magazine

April 2020

Cline and Stokes sparked dating rumors when he commented on a photo of the actress in 1883 Magazine via Instagram.

“Heart rate … decreasing … help,” Stokes wrote via Instagram.

Credit: Courtesy of BarStoolSports/YouTube

May 2020

The twosome appeared very comfortable with each other as they did joint interviews for the show.

Credit: Courtesy of OBX/Instagram

May 2020

The pair fueled dating rumors by continuing to leave flirty comments on each other’s posts. “I’m not ok,” Cline replied to a photo of Stokes.

Credit: Courtesy of Chase Stokes/Instagram

June 2020

“Cats outta the bag,” Stokes wrote alongside a photo of the couple having dinner on a beach while watching the sunset. Cline reposted the photo, adding, “I’ve fallen and I cant get up.”

She also joked about her Outer Banks’ character’s ex-boyfriend Topper’s (Austin North) reaction. “Topper punching the air rn,” Cline quipped in the comments section.

Credit: YouTube

September 2020

Stokes and Cline returned to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and made out at a bar in Kygo’s video for his remix of Donna Summer’s "Hot Stuff."

Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock; Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

November 2020

The Giant star confirmed that she is in love with her boyfriend. “It’s really cool. Love is tight,” she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “It’s cool to share this experience with your favorite people and also your favorite person. … I feel very happy.”

Credit: Courtesy of Chase Stokes/Instagram

December 2020

Stokes shared a slideshow of photos in honor of his girlfriend's birthday. "It's quite rare to meet somebody and feel everything change. Thank you for making the coldest days warm, for your infectious love, and being the best dog mom to Lil mi," he wrote via Instagram. "Happy birthday sweet thang you make my heart warm and fuzzy 25/8."

Credit: Courtesy of Instagram/Chase Stokes

April 2021

"365 w/ u," he wrote via Instagram to celebrate their one-year anniversary. She responded, "And I’d do it again." 

Credit: Courtesy of MTV/Shutterstock

May 2021

The couple took home the trophy for Best Kiss at the MTV Movie and TV Awards  — and sealed the deal with an onstage smooch.

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

May 2021

Cline described the "intimate" experience of working on the Netflix series, telling Grazia Gazette: The Hamptons, "We really vibe with our crew and our cast, obviously. We immediately had chemistry, and we immediately started hanging out, which is amazing."

She added that all of her costars — and especially Stokes — "keep each other grounded" and "hype each other up."

Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

July 2021

Stokes gushed over his "very healthy relationship" with his costar, telling V Man magazine that they keep work and romance separate. "We'll be scene partners and take care of each other when it's an emotional moment. ... Then, as soon as we get back to our trailers and we're taking off our makeup and character clothes, it's like that world disappears. I'm very thankful for her and the journey we're on, it's been awesome," he added.

Credit: Netflix/Kobal/Shutterstock

July 2021

After the second season of Outer Banks dropped on Netflix, eagle-eyed fans thought they caught Stokes' character, John B., calling onscreen love Sarah by Cline's real name.

“Did anyone else noticed [sic] that Chase Stokes said ‘Mads’ during Sarah’s death scene?” one social media user asked via TikTok, alongside footage from the "Prayers" episode.

Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

August 2021

While appearing on The Talk, Cline said she laid the ground rules before returning to film Outer Banks season 2 as a real-life couple.

“The biggest thing for me going back to work, I was nervous, because for me my workspace was incredibly sacred. It’s very personal to me and I do not like to bring any sort of personal troubles to my workspace,” she emphasized. “I’m kind of notorious for even turning my phone off and not answering it for hours, or just like leaving it in my trailer, because I like to focus on what’s in front of me. I’m very much of a one-track mind kind of person.”

She revealed that she and Stokes discussed the situation and how to stay professional on set. “We laid the groundwork first and foremost, and I was like, ‘This is a big priority to me, and you know, from what I know based on how you work, it is for you too. But I want to make sure that we hold each other accountable and that we don’t bring anything personal that could potentially distract each other or our fellow castmates on the day.’ So, it wasn’t hard at all, and I really respect that about him and our relationship.”

Credit: Netflix/Kobal/Shutterstock

August 2021

Fans were surprised to learn that the real-life couple's onscreen kiss in the rain during season 1 almost didn't happen.

“No, it wasn’t supposed to happen,” Cline revealed during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “We were just supposed to kiss in normal weather.” While rainstorms threatened to delay the shoot, the duo "looked at each other and we were, like, ‘Oh, wait, this could be really cool and romantic.’”

She recalled to Jimmy Fallon at the time, “It ended up being this super serendipitous thing where it ended up being kind of like The Notebook. It was just really cool."

Credit: Courtesy of Madelyn Cline/Instagram

September 2021

Cline celebrated Stokes’ 29th birthday with a series of Instagram Stories at the time. “Happiest birthday to you, nerd,” she wrote. He subsequently reposted a video of himself jumping on a bed, replying, “Thank you for exposing my bedtime routine.”

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November 2021

After not being spotted together in public during the month of October, news broke that the twosome quietly pulled the plug on their romance months prior.

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December 2021

Fans began to wonder whether the pair rekindled their relationship after they were seemingly spotted together following their November 2021 split. The following month, Stokes gushed over his costar and former flame.

"She's one of my favorite people on planet Earth," Stokes told Us exclusively, revealing that he and Cline still kept in touch frequently. "You know, it's super awesome to work with somebody that you care about that much, and yeah, I'll leave it at that."

Credit: Courtesy of Outer Banks/Instagram

February 2022

Stokes caused a stir when he reposted Netflix’s first photos from season 3 of Outer Banks, which depict him and Cline holding hands.

The snaps appear to confirm that their characters’ romance is still going strong. The images also sparked speculation among fans that the actors may have rekindled their romance in real life.

Credit: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock ; Courtesy of Jackson Guthy/Instagram

June 2022

Despite fans' hopes for a reconciliation, the pair had seemingly moved on. At the time, Cline began dating current boyfriend Jackson Guthy. That same month Stokes was spotted partying with Issy Metz. "They were really flirty — hugging and holding hands,” a source exclusively told Us of the pair's night in NYC. “They were snuggling and canoodling in the car. They were definitely trying to be low-key."

Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock for Sun Valley Film Festival; Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

August 2022

Cline opened up about what it’s like working alongside her ex after calling it quits. 

“We’re both professionals. We always have been since day one,” the actress told W Magazine at the time. “Outer Banks is a big family, and at the end of the day, we show up, we’re professional, and we do our jobs.”

Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

February 2023

Following his brief romance with Metz, rumors swirled that Stokes was linked to Kelsea Ballerini after the pair were seen flirting online and spotted together IRL on numerous occasions. The country singer confirmed their romance after months of speculation during her appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.