Say it ain’t so! For weeks, Outer Banks stars Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes had been fueling split speculation, and many fans were wondering: did the Netflix stars break up? Sadly, according to a recent report by People, the answer is yes.
“Madelyn and Chase are no longer together,” a source told the publication. And as for for why they broke up so quietly, it reportedly has to do with the fact that they tried to work through their issues.
“They were trying to work things out privately but broke up a couple of months ago,” the insider added.
A second source told the outlet, “They are definitely broken up.” Madelyn and a rep for Chase did not immediately respond to Life & Style‘s requests for comment regarding their split.
Madelyn, 23, and Chase, 29, first sparked split rumors in early September when followers noticed they had not been spotted out together for a while. Furthermore, any photos of the former couple together seemed to be in a group setting or promotion for Outer Banks.
People continued questioning the status of their relationship when Madelyn was seen dancing with 13 Reasons Why actor Ross Butler while the pair hung out during Milan Fashion Week in a video published by TMZ on September 30. The duo also sat together with a group of pals while attending the Savatore Ferragamo presentation on September 25.
While the Stranger Things actress didn’t tag Ross, 31, in any photos from her Italy trip, she did tag Outer Banks actor Jonathan Daviss. Even more surprising, her costar, 22, traveled from Milan to Miami to meet up with Chase during a boys’ trip, according to Instagram photos posted on September 29.
Madelyn and Chase kept fans guessing, and on September 16, the Knives Out 2 actress posted a sweet birthday tribute for the Maryland native.
“Happiest birthday to you, nerd,” she captioned a series of four never-before-seen snapshots of Chase via her Instagram Stories.
For his part, the actor posted about his big day on his own account. “Another trip around the sun. Very thankful for everybody who has sent me messages, tagged me in things and showed so much love. Thank you. Yes, I know. I’m old. Get over it,” he wrote. Four out of the six photos Chase shared included Madelyn.
The costars-turned-lovers met through Outer Banks, but their relationship didn’t turn romantic until they began social distancing together amid the coronavirus pandemic. In June 2020, Chase and Madelyn confirmed they were indeed a couple.
Chase told Life & Style he felt “so lucky” to be able to work alongside Madelyn. “We’re both absolutely obsessed with our job, and so to go to work with your partner and to go work on a project that you kind of have always dreamed of doing … is super exciting,” he gushed in July 2020.
That being said, Madelyn said they laid “the groundwork” beforehand to stay professional on set.
“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,’” she said during an appearance on The Talk in August 2021. “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.”
She added, “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.”