Thanks to their onscreen romance in Outer Banks, Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes' chemistry has often left fans wondering, "Are John B and Sarah still dating in real life?" At one time, the pair were indeed an item on and off screen but where exactly do they stand now?
As we count down the months until Outer Banks season four (yes, it's been renewed again!), which sees Sarah and John B reunited after that temporary break up in season 3, the couple's IRL romance—which began all the way back in 2020—had a not-so-happy ending. In fact, Chase and Madelyn split in 2021 and have since been linked to other people.
That however, hasn't stopped fans from manifesting a reunion, despite confirmation that Chase Stokes' girlfriend is now Kelsea Ballerini—and don't get us started on Madelyn's own boyfriend rumors. But the question still remains: what's their relationship like now and are they on good terms? Here's everything we know, from reconciliation rumors to a recap of their whole dating saga...
Are Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes dating?
As of 2023, sadly Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline are very much not together anymore. Despite hopes that they might reignite their spark on the OBX set.
The filming of OBX season 3 was also a similar story, where, despite fans being filled with fleeting hope after they spotted a rare PDA moment between them in an Instagram post shared by Chase (which has now seemingly been deleted), the pair still remain exes *cry.*
The post in question, saw Chase announce the return of the Pogues, with a group snap which he captioned with: "Welcome back (:" While it's a very cute picture of the Outer Banks cast, including the likes of Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow, fans couldn't help but zero in on Madelyn and Chase—who were holding hands!
As you can imagine, fans went into a frenzy. But in cases like these, it's important to remember that the pair are still an on-screen couple! And it turned out, this was indeed all the photo was—both Chase and Madelyn in character whilst filming.
That's because, as of February 2023, we got even more confirmation that both stars have moved on, with new developments in both Madelyn's love life and Chase's—though, there has been some speculation that Madelyn and her rumored beau, Jackson Guthy have now split (as of August 2023). Chase and Kelsea however, still appear to be going strong, so for now, it seems the OBX co-stars' off-screen relationship is truly over for good...
A post shared by Kelsea Ballerini (@kelseaballerini)
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Madelyn has also since opened up about what it's been like working with her ex on the set of OBX season three. She told Cosmopolitan in February 2023: "We always said that the job remains untouched. 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."
She then touched on what it was like having their relationship in the public eye: "My thing is, I don’t owe anyone an explanation. I am a really private person. There’s a part of me that is for me and nobody else. But in hindsight, duh, making my relationship public made it everybody else’s business.
"I realized the negative side effects of that while going through the breakup, realizing I had let people in and then felt like I couldn’t get anybody out. It just hit me like a freight train. I wanted us both to move on and be happy. People see the need for sides. There are no sides—there’s no winning or losing in a breakup." So there you have it!
Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes' relationship timeline
Let's take a look back at how it all began for these two...before their breakup, and anyone else was in the picture.
(Image credit: Netflix / JACKSON LEE DAVIS)
April 2020: spending lockdown together
After the fictional couple made their Netflix debut, viewers suspected there was more to the story of Madelyn and Chase. Soon after, it was revealed that the pair were an item, and were actually quarantining together in California during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chase later revealed in an interview with Us Weekly that it was an "immediate test" for them, and said: “It’s like, ‘hey you’re dating, guess what? Figure it out, you’re stuck.”
He later explained though that it actually turned out for the best, bringing the pair closer together. "We’ve got really great communication, and the cool part is we've started a friendship first, which is awesome to be friends before you dive into a relationship," Chase said.
June 2020: it’s official
IT'S Official😍🙌🥳i love you both @madelyncline @hichasestokes ''cats outta the bag ❤️''📸 @hichasestokes pic.twitter.com/dbELjKvoUYJune 15, 2020
The two went official with their relationship in June 2020, with Chase posting a picture of them on a picnic date. He captioned it “Cats outta the bag ❤️,” with Madelyn commenting “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up”.
So. Cute.
September 2020: Chase' birthday
Madelyn took to Instagram to wish her other half a happy birthday and shared a series of adorable snaps of them together on Chase's birthday, which falls on 16 September.
Though the Instagram post has now been deleted, fans loved the super-sweet insight into the couple's lives, especially as they were waiting for the return of Outer Banks, in the form of the second season.
September: 'Kygo' music video
September 2020 also saw the two stars in Kygo’s 'Hot Stuff' music video, where they packed on the PDA. Giving off major Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik 'Pillow Talk' vibes, it was one of the first public displays of affection from the pair—outside of Insta posts, obvs.
December 2020: Madelyn's birthday
Of course, fans were also waiting for a sweet post from Chase for Madelyn's birthday (21 December), and they weren't disappointed. Chase posted the cutest birthday post to Madelyn, with a series of unseen snaps.
He captioned the photo dump: “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. Happy birthday sweet thang you make my heart warm and fuzzy 25/8”.
April 2021: the couple's first anniversary
The couple shared separate posts to mark their one-year anniversary on April 4, too.
Madelyn wrote: “Thanks for helping me keep track of my belongings for a whole year (: adore u” and Chase said in his post: “365 w/ u ❤️.” N'aww!
May 2021: the MTV smooch
The OBX couple won Best Kiss at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in LA in May of the same year—and of course, celebrated the win with a smooch, as is tradition for the winners.
June 2021: selfies galore from Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes
The love fest continued as Madelyn Cline's boyfriend Chase posted a selfie of his leading lady, just as fans got season two of Outer Banks.
Sadly, the post has now been deleted (along with any other social media trace of the pair's relationship), so we don't have it here to share with you.
(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/2021 MTV Movie and TV Awards/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS)
October 2021: break up rumors
Sadly, rumors started swirling that the couple were over after TMZ shared a video of Madelyn and Ross Butler looking cozy and dancing together at Milan Fashion Week, while Chase was back in Miami solo.
According to E! News, a source confirmed the split, even hinting at our worst fears that it's been over for a while. They also said that the actress is talking to "other people"—suggesting that Madelyn Cline is single at this point.
November 2021: news that the pair have officially split
E! News and People confirmed the news that Madelyn and Chase had broken up on 1 November.
Speaking to the latter, an insider said: "Madelyn and Chase are no longer together. They were trying to work things out privately but broke up a couple of months ago."
November 21:rumors of a reunion swirl
Later on in the month, Madelyn stepped out at the American Music Awards, wearing a cut-out dress that many would go on to call her 'revenge dress', in light of her recent split from Chase.
Though Madelyn never commented publicly on the nickname for her outfit, we'd say it's definitely the kind of look you want to rock after a break-up!
(Image credit: Getty Images / Matt Winkelmeyer)
Plus, later in the month, things changed. On Saturday, November 27, an eager OBX enthusiast took a selfie with the stars at The Hideaway in Atlanta, Georgia—suggesting that Madelyn and Chase were either still a couple, or were still happy to hang out as friends.
"Just ran into my favorite OBX couple … John B and Sarah (Maddie and Chase) Thanks for makin my night! So cool!", they said.
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Then, seemingly the same evening (see the outfits), the two were spotted dancing by a TikTok fan account. With over 118,000 likes, it seems all fans of the show are hoping for the same outcome: a reunion!
"MY BABIES ARE BACK," the TikTok user captioned.The two didn't confirm or deny these rumors, but it all seemed pretty lovey-dovey.
@clinesepouse MY BABIES ARE BACK #madelyncline #madelynclineedit #chasestokes #chasestokesedit #chaselyn #obxseason2 #outerbanks #fyp
♬ original sound - all smiles here ;)
December 2021: are the pair back together?
At this point, the rumour mill is going crazy, with fans not sure whether their Outer Banks faves are back together or not.
A source told ET: "Madelyn and Chase care about one another, they felt like they had to be apart to get back on track and be together in the future. Their relationship was very serious before and right now, they're slowly easing back into things and giving it another try. They're not full-on back together, but they're taking it slow and seeing where things go.”
December 21: Madelyn and Chase attend awards ceremony
The pair also attended the People's Choice Awards on December 7—though not together, instead heading to the event with the entire Outer Banks cast.
Then, right before Christmas, Madelyn dined solo with DJ Zack Bia, sparking dating rumors—was he Madelyn Cline's boyfriend, rather than Chase?
(Image credit: Getty Images / Amy Sussman / Staff)
January 2022: Rumors that Madelyn is quitting OBX begin
While many of us romantics out there hoped Madelyn and Chase being back on set together might spell reconciliation, some alarming rumors began surfacing that threatened to crush our dreams in early 2022.
Online sources suggested that Madelyn planned to leave the popular Netflix show following the release of season three. As you can imagine, this speculation caused a lot of upset, with the star having to take to her socials to set the record straight.
Posting on her Instagram Story, she said: "Hi, so I'm getting asked if s3 is my final season of obx. I will come back for as many seasons as they will have me. I love my job and there's not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for it, and for everyone who has watched it."
She also added a very important reminder, writing: "Not everything you read on the internet is true."—Phew!
Despite this good news, there was still some bad news relationship-wise. Right around the same time, E! News has reported Madelyn and Chase are still very much broken up, with Madelyn "just kind of living her single girl moment". We love that for her!
February 2022: The Pogue's are back—and maybe so are Madelyn and Chase...
As mentioned above, Chase set the rumor mill spinning, after posting an update on Outer Banks Season 3. The actor shared (another now deleted) group shot of his fellow cast members walking down a beach towards the sea, with the caption: "Welcome back (:"
The picture saw them all smiling—but most importantly showed Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes holding hands! While this may be because they're a couple on the show—fans were convinced that Chase posting the pictures spelt good news for their favorite Netflix couple...
Up until this point, there was pretty much silence on the Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes front. However, at the time, Madelyn did reveal to W magazine in August 2022 what it's been like to work with her ex.
She simply said: "We’re both professionals. We always have been since day one.Outer Banksis a big family, and at the end of the day, we show up, we’re professional, and we do our jobs."
January 2023: Madelyn has a new man—and Chase has a new woman
(Image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Having recently starred in the Netflix smash-hit film Knives Out: Glass Onion (Madelyn Cline's first movie)—alongside Daniel Craig, no less—Madelyn's star at the moment is on the up-and-up. And it seems she may be sharing her success with a new beau; but it also appears that man is not Chase Stokes.
In an interview with The Cut in December 2022, Madelyn revealed that she does have a boyfriend; the magazine details the "Malibu home she shares with her boyfriend and dogs, a sprawling yet cozy estate set against the backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains."
So who is this mystery man?! According to reports, Madelyn is now dating Jackson Guthy, lead singer of the band North of Nine. In fact, she recently told Cosmopolitan, “I am happily taken. All I know is he makes me incredibly happy. And I’ve truly never been happier, and I feel very, very empowered."
(Image credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
And Madelyn isn't the only one who has moved on. As mentioned, Chase now appears to be in a fairly serious relationship with country star Kelsea Ballerini.
He coyly opened up about his new relationship on the Today show recently. After being asked if he was a 'fan' of Kelsea, he said, "Absolutely, I'm a fan. Who isn't a fan?"
Co-host Sheinelle Jones then called Kelsea and Chase "a beautiful couple", to which he simply responded, "Thank you." Cute!
So while Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline are officially no longer an item, it seems both of them are doing just fine apart.
