Val and Vlad ’till death do they part! Outer Banks stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline’s relationship may have not lasted, but their character onscreen romance is forever.
Stokes and Cline portray John B Rutledge and Sarah Cameron, respectively, on the Netflix series, which premiered in April 2020 and introduced viewers to the coastal island off North Carolina. The Maryland native and the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery star’s characters, who are from opposite sides of the tracks, form an instant connection, facing — and overcoming — roadblocks that threaten to tear them apart at every turn.
Fans instantly fell in love with John B and Sarah’s Romeo and Juliet-like love story, much due in part to the actor’s palpable chemistry. The sparks between Stokes and Cline eventually flew behind the camera, as well, and the duo confirmed they were dating in June 2020.
Initially, the twosome were afraid of how their real-life romance would affect the show and tried their best not to act on their feelings.
“At that point in time, we were so anxious about the show and so nervous about constantly screwing up. I think we were all under this sort of strange umbrella of, like, ‘Dear God, we got an opportunity. Let’s not screw it up!’ So, it was just always work-oriented — really until the day we wrapped,” Stokes exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2021. “It wasn’t until after that, until we started to kind of get into the [coronavirus] lockdown where we were like, ‘Is there something here or am I crazy?’ That’s sort of where it bloomed from there. I think we were just so invested in the work.”
The pair were together for less than a year before they called it quits and Us confirmed the split in November 2021, after season 2 of Outer Banks was released on Netflix. Despite their breakup, neither of the Stranger Things alums let it ruin their onscreen dynamic.
“Honestly, and this isn’t just me: they’re pros,” showrunner Jonas Pate told Entertainment Weekly in February 2023 ahead of the season 3 premiere. “They handled themselves unbelievably on set, and you would never know that they had an off-camera relationship. They were great. It’s a credit to Chase and to Maddie, they just put their heads down and did the work, so good for them.”
Stokes for his part, gushed about his ex and their ability to always put the work above their private lives.
“Mads 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,” the actor told EW at the time. “And that no matter what happens in our personal lives, and the ways that life sometimes takes you in different directions, that we’re always going to honor the work. That stayed 100 percent truthful this season.”
Cline, meanwhile, echoed the Tell Me Your Secret actor’s sentiments. “We always said that the job remains untouched,” she told Cosmopolitan in February 2023. “Nothing else, personal or negative, will touch the job. And while that’s not always easy, our job is to leave the show better than we found it, to leave the season better than we found it. And I’m really appreciative of that.”
While Cline and Stokes’ relationship may have fizzled, Sarah and John B continue to be a fan-favorite pairing on the action-adventure series. The pair have overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles — including Sarah’s father’s attempted murder of both John B and his father — even exchanging vows in the third episode of season 2.
“I give you this sweaty piece of my father’s bandana as a token of my love,” John B croons to Sarah, who is recovering from a gunshot wound after her brother, Rafe (Drew Starkey), shot her. She replies, “By the power vested in me, by the sky, the stars, and the sea, I now pronounce us husband and wife.”
As for if John B and Sarah will be endgame by the time Outer Banks wraps — it was renewed for season 4 in February 2023 ahead of its season 3 premiere — the Between Waves star told EW that the show will stick to its guns when it comes to putting its characters through the wringer.
“Part of me wants to continue down the road of peace for John B and Sarah, but if there’s anything we know about this show, it’s that it’s going to take you for a wild ride,” he said. “They’re definitely, yet again, going to be tested.”
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Keep scrolling to relive season 1 and 2 of John B and Sarah’s epic romance:
Kat Pettibone
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