Madelyn Cline Unfollows Rudy Pankow and Elaine Siemek—Could This Be the End of ‘Outer Banks’ Friendship?

Fans speculate that Madelyn Cline may have subtly confirmed the rumored feud between the Outer Banks cast and Rudy Pankow.

Even before Outer Banks season 4 premiered in October and November 2024, rumors of tension between Rudy and his co-stars were already swirling. These whispers gained momentum after his character was written off the show.

The speculation reached new heights on November 24, when fans noticed that Madelyn, who plays Sarah Cameron in the hit Netflix series, had unfollowed Rudy and his girlfriend, Elaine Siemek, on Instagram.

As of publication, it appears Madelyn no longer follows Rudy’s Instagram account, despite previously doing so. Fans pointed out that just a week earlier, she had interacted with his posts, even leaving a heart emoji on his farewell message to Outer Banks.

Adding fuel to the fire, fans claim Madelyn posted a meme of a smirking little girl in front of a burning house on her Instagram Stories around the time of the unfollowing. However, this alleged post was reportedly deleted.

Theories suggest the unfollowing may have been triggered by events during Elaine’s recent birthday trip. Elaine, who turned 28 on November 21, shared a photo on her Instagram Story with Kate McDuffie. Notably, fans observed that Madelyn also unfollowed Kate on Instagram, despite their previously close friendship.

For those unfamiliar, rumors of cast discord date back years, with the tension reportedly centering on Rudy and Elaine’s dynamic with the rest of the main cast. Fans have speculated that Rudy’s on-screen chemistry with his co-star Madison Bailey, who played his love interest, may have caused friction. Allegedly, Elaine wasn’t fond of their history, and fans believe Madison’s girlfriend, Mariah Linney, may also have played a role in the fallout.

During Rudy’s final season, fans accused his scenes with Madison of lacking chemistry and speculated Elaine’s influence may have contributed to the shift. This was a stark contrast to earlier seasons, when fans praised Rudy and Madison’s on-screen connection and even pushed for a romantic storyline between their characters.

An insider confirmed to Life & Style that things became “difficult” for Rudy and Madison while filming season 4. “There were a lot of whispers that things soured between them,” the source shared. “They were very close friends at one point, and something did seem to happen to break that bond, which obviously would make filming together a struggle at times. They’re both super professional, so it didn’t cause issues on set or with their performances, but there was a lot of gossip flying around about how strained things were between them the moment the cameras were off.”