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

Warning: This story contains spoilers from Foreign banks‘ season 4 part 2 finale.

What actually happens in between Foreign banks stars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey?

While rumors continue to swirl that Pankow and Bailey — who play JJ and Kiara on the Netflix series — have fallen out, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively that they are not fighting, despite constant fan speculation.

Representatives for Netflix, Pankow and Bailey did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Rumors of a feud between the two actors began to intensify after multiple fans pointed out online that the two appeared to have used stunt doubles to film a PDA-filled scene they had together in season 4.

More speculation emerged after a dinner with the cast in June 2023, which was also attended by Pankow’s girlfriend Elaine Siemek, Bailey and her partner Mariah Linney. After dinner, both Bailey and Linney reportedly unfollowed Siemek, according to Distractify.

Rudy Pankow as JJ, Madison Bailey as Kiara.

JACKSON LEE DAVIS/NETFLIX

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With Pankow’s character dying while confronting his biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), in the season 2 finale of Part 4, reports also surfaced indicating that different endings were filmed to allow Pankow to stay in the series during its fifth and final season.

While those rumors have not been addressed, creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke confirmed to Tuduma in an article published on Friday, November 8 that Pankow’s character was always meant to die.

Madison Bailey as Kiara, Rudy Pankow as JJ.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

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

Josh seemingly reflected on the cast’s relationship with Pankow, adding in his statement, “JJ’s death was a difficult but necessary part of the architecture for the story, and we plan to honor that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do. And Rudy is our great friend.”

The cast of ‘Outer Banks’ at the Season 4 World Premiere in Charleston on October 8, 2024.

Jeff Hahne/Getty

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Although rumors have surrounded the cast since the first season, where Pankow and Bailey are believed to have fallen out, Burke recently said Cosmopolitan that the creators “thought one of the Pogues was going to die almost early on in Season 1, and we were pretty sure it was going to be JJ.”

With the cast doing Season 4 together, Pankow had nothing but positive thoughts when talking about his departure from the show while talking to Tuduma.

“I want to thank the cast and crew most sincerely. It was a real pleasure to come to work. This is by far the greatest thing I’ve ever done [my] experience, and to have this as a start is the start of a lifetime,” Pankow said. “I’m going to miss it. Thank you for so many fun memories I will have [for] the rest of my life.”

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

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Foreign banks seasons 1 through 4 are available to stream Netflix.

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Source: HIS Education