Chase Stokes Says “Outer Banks”' Jonathan Daviss and Madison Bailey are 'Like Family' amid Speculation About Rudy Pankow Rift

It's been two months since Outer Banks season 4's heartbreaking finale sparked rumors amongst fans of a behind-the-scenes rift, and now, Chase Stokes is fanning the flames once again.

During a Jan. 22 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, the actor, 32, reflected on his journey to land the role of John B on the Netflix series as he said the show has changed his life and he's "very thankful" for it and for "the people who are on it" with him.

"I mean, like I said, Jonathan [Daviss] and Madison Bailey are both, not just costars, they're like family," Stokes said. "We were at dinner last night just kind of talking about it, reminiscing on how crazy the last couple years have been and how much it has truthfully changed our lives."

Related: Why Isn't Rudy Pankow Returning for Outer Banks Season 5? All About JJ's Final Scene — And How the Cast Has Reacted to His Shocking Departure

Stokes' reflection on the familial bond he has with Daviss, 24, and Bailey, 25, fueled fans' fire about a potential rift amongst the original castmembers — namely Stokes, Daviss, Bailey and Rudy Pankow — because the Marked Men actor left Pankow out.

Stokes' John B, Daviss' Pope, Bailey's Kiara and Pankow's JJ were the core four characters in the first season, and the cast was just as close off-screen as they were on, but when Pankow's character died in the season 4 finale, speculation emerged that the actor had asked to leave the show due to behind-the-scenes issues.

Rumors about a potential feud went viral online, with fans specifically speculating that Bailey and Pankow had a falling out in real life, which led to his exit — and to their characters' romantic storyline going underdeveloped on-screen — but a source told PEOPLE at the time that the actors were not feuding.

In response to Stokes' comments on The Rich Eisen Show, one fan wrote on X, "they don't even like each other anymore," referring to Stokes and Pankow, the latter of whom the fan said is "never coming back" to the show, despite fans' hopes for his character's resurrection.

Related: What Really Happens Behind the Scenes of Outer Banks? 12 Secrets About the Teen Drama, Straight from the Cast and Crew

Amid the rumors, creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke claimed that JJ was always going to die, calling it a "hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story" that "sets the stage for an epic fifth and final season" in an interview with Netflix's Tudum.

Previous conflicts between Pankow's girlfriend, Elaine Siemek, and fans of the show also added another layer to the speculation. He'd called out fans for their "harassment" of his girlfriend in a lengthy Instagram post in 2021, and more recently told Cosmopolitan that he felt "a lot of people can intertwine a narrative and what they want to believe."

The cast never addressed the speculation head-on, but they were visibly emotional as they said goodbye to their longtime costar in a clip shared by the show.

Daviss said they were all "emotional...about the journey that we all went on together" during Pankow's final days and Bailey was emotional too, as she said her costar "really made something" of his character and brought a "lightheartedness that the show desperately needed."

Stokes, for his part, said it had been a "joy to share the screen" with Pankow. "To create a brotherhood and to depict something on screen that young men can look at, as two young men be honest with one another, is something that I will hold near and dear to my heart for a long, long time."

As Pankow said one last goodbye, he told his castmates of his beloved character, "I will always carry a piece of you for the rest of my life."

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Outer Banks seasons 1-4 can be streamed on Netflix.

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