If you’ve kept one eye on Netflix’s hit series *Outer Banks* and the other on celebrity gossip headlines, you’ve likely watched Chase Stokes navigate whiplash-inducing relationship updates right alongside his on-screen treasure hunts. The 32-year-old actor’s personal life has been just as eventful as his character John B.’s adventures — and with the show’s final season set for 2026, there’s plenty to untangle.
Date of Birth: September 16, 1992 ·
Age: 32 ·
Birthplace: Annapolis, Maryland ·
Known for: Outer Banks (John B.) ·
Instagram Followers: 7 million
Quick snapshot
- Current relationship status with Kelsea Ballerini (reports conflict)
- Exact reasons for splits with Madelyn Cline and Kelsea Ballerini
- Whether he has any children
- Whether Stokes and Ballerini have publicly confirmed their reconciliation
- Outer Banks Season 5 (final season) premieres Aug. 20, 2026 (Netflix Tudum)
- Reports of on/off cycle with Ballerini through 2025 (PEOPLE)
- Season 5 of Outer Banks drops August 2026 (Netflix Tudum)
- New films: Marked Men (2025) and Valiant (2025) (IMDb)
- Potential public confirmation of relationship status (Netflix Tudum)
These facts provide a snapshot of Stokes’ public identity.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Chase Stokes |
| Born | September 16, 1992 |
| Birthplace | Annapolis, Maryland, USA |
| Known For | John B. in Outer Banks |
| @hichasestokes (7M followers) |
Are Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini still together?
What was the timeline of their relationship?
Chase Stokes and country singer Kelsea Ballerini were first linked in early 2023. According to Elle (celebrity news coverage), the pair dated for nearly three years, weathering public attention and demanding schedules. By September 2025, multiple outlets reported a split.
PEOPLE (entertainment news outlet) reported that Ballerini and Stokes had parted ways in September 2025 after nearly three years together. But the story didn’t end there — the same source later reported that the pair reconciled later in 2025 after the September split.
Why did they reportedly break up?
Specific reasons for the breakup haven’t been publicly confirmed by either party. Reports from Elle and PEOPLE suggest the split occurred amid busy work schedules — Ballerini was on tour and Stokes was filming the final season of Outer Banks.
Have they reconciled?
Yes. By early 2026, PEOPLE described their relationship as “back on again after a messy year.” The reconciliation was not formally announced by either party, but sources close to the couple confirmed the renewed status.
Stokes and Ballerini have cycled through at least one public breakup and reconciliation — a pattern that matches the high-profile, long-distance pressures both face. The implication: their relationship status may remain fluid through 2026.
The catch: neither Stokes nor Ballerini has addressed the status directly, so all reports remain sourced to unnamed insiders. For fans, the signal is clear — they’re back together for now, but the cycle isn’t guaranteed to hold.
The pattern: Stokes and Ballerini’s on-again-off-again relationship suggests their status may remain fluid, but fans should watch for official confirmation.
Did Chase Stokes dump Madelyn Cline?
How long did they date?
Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes dated publicly for over a year before splitting in November 2021, according to PEOPLE (entertainment news outlet). The two met in 2019 shortly before filming began on Outer Banks season 1. Stokes made the relationship Instagram-official in June 2020 by posting beach picnic photos.
What led to their split?
There’s no confirmed narrative that either party “dumped” the other. Elle reported that the breakup was mutual and amicable, with both actors remaining professional while filming later seasons of the show. No public statements from either Stokes or Cline have suggested otherwise.
Any public statements from either party?
Cline briefly addressed the split in a 2022 interview, calling it “sad but not dramatic.” Stokes has not made direct public comments about the breakup. Both have been described as “amicable exes” by Us Weekly and other entertainment coverage.
“It was sad but not dramatic.”
— Madelyn Cline, via Elle
The trade-off: the “dumping” framing that fans speculate about online doesn’t match what sources report — the split was described as a natural ending, not a one-sided decision. For viewers of Outer Banks, the real story is that Cline and Stokes continue to work together professionally without reported tension.
Why did Chase and Emmy call off engagement?
Who is Emmy?
Emmy is a private individual who was romantically linked to Stokes prior to his relationship with Madelyn Cline. Very few verified details about her identity are publicly available — she has not been named in major entertainment profiles, and Stokes has not publicly discussed her background.
When did they get engaged?
Reports from Elle indicate that Stokes was briefly engaged to a woman named Emmy before his rise to fame. The engagement reportedly occurred around 2019–2020, before Outer Banks premiered and launched his public profile.
What reasons were given for calling off the engagement?
No official reason has been given by Stokes or Emmy. Elle notes that the engagement was called off before Stokes’s relationship with Cline became public. Speculation in fan circles suggests that the pressures of sudden fame and long-distance contributed, but this remains unconfirmed.
Stokes’s early engagement remains a footnote in his public biography — but it’s a reminder that his relationship history predates his Netflix fame by several years. Fans seeking a complete timeline should note that this chapter lacks the same level of source confirmation as his later relationships.
Why this matters: the “Emmy” chapter is the least-documented part of Stokes’s relationship history, and its scarcity highlights how much more scrutiny his later relationships received once Outer Banks made him a household name.
Who has Chase Stokes dated?
Did Chase Stokes date Madelyn Cline?
Yes. Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes dated publicly from around June 2020 until November 2021. PEOPLE confirms they met in 2019 before Outer Banks filming began and made their relationship Instagram-official in June 2020. The two costars remained on good terms after their breakup and continue to work together on the show.
Has he dated anyone else?
Beyond Cline and Ballerini, Stokes’s known dating history is limited. His early engagement to Emmy is the only other confirmed relationship. Elle notes that no other public relationships have been documented, though tabloid speculation occasionally links him to other celebrities.
Does he have children?
There are no confirmed reports that Chase Stokes has children. Wikipedia and major entertainment outlets do not list any children in his biography. This is one area where the public record is consistently clear.
Six known relationships, one pattern: Stokes’s dating history is short but intense — three known partners in a decade, with two overlapping his Outer Banks fame. The implication: his personal life is tightly intertwined with his professional timeline.
Is Chase Stokes in a relationship?
Who is he currently rumored to be with?
As of early 2026, Chase Stokes is reported to be back together with Kelsea Ballerini. PEOPLE reported the reconciliation after their September 2025 split. No other rumored relationships have been substantiated by credible sources.
Are there any confirmed relationships?
Neither Stokes nor Ballerini has issued a public statement confirming their current status. The reports from PEOPLE are based on unnamed sources. This means the current status remains technically unconfirmed — a fact that matters for readers looking for certainty.
For fans tracking the timeline, the current picture is one of reconciliation after a public breakup, with both stars focused on major career projects: Ballerini on tour and Stokes preparing for the final season of Outer Banks.
Confirmed facts
- Chase Stokes was born September 16, 1992 in Annapolis, Maryland (Wikipedia)
- He plays John B. in Outer Banks (IMDb)
- He has over 7 million Instagram followers as of 2025 (Instagram)
- He dated Madelyn Cline from 2020 to November 2021 (PEOPLE)
- He was in a relationship with Kelsea Ballerini from 2023; they split in September 2025 and later reconciled (PEOPLE)
What’s unclear
- Current relationship status with Kelsea Ballerini (reports conflict)
- Exact reasons for split with Madelyn Cline
- Whether he has any children
- Details of his engagement to Emmy
- Whether Stokes and Ballerini have publicly confirmed their reconciliation
Outer Banks Season 5: the final chapter
Netflix confirmed that Outer Banks season 5 will be the series’ last season. Netflix Tudum (official Netflix news platform) announced that the season will premiere on August 20, 2026. The returning cast includes Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey, Carlacia Grant, Austin North, and Fiona Palomo.
Production began on June 16, 2025 and wrapped on December 19, 2025, according to the Outer Banks Wiki (fan-run database). Stokes himself told PEOPLE that his “heart is heavy” but that the team believes it will be “their best yet.”
“This will be the show’s fifth and final season — and the team thinks it will be their best yet.”
— Chase Stokes, via PEOPLE
The season 5 story is framed as the Pogues’ last ride, with an uneasy alliance with Rafe to keep the group from falling apart. For Stokes, this marks the end of a six-year chapter that launched him from relative obscurity to global recognition.
elle.com, people.com, tmz.com, usmagazine.com, people.com, justjared.com, cosmopolitan.com, trendjournal.se
For a detailed look at his romantic history, check out the Chase Stokes relationship timeline which covers his relationships with Madelyn Cline and Kelsea Ballerini.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chase Stokes’s Instagram handle?
His Instagram handle is @hichasestokes.
How many Instagram followers does Chase Stokes have?
As of 2025, Chase Stokes has over 7 million followers on Instagram.
What is Chase Stokes’s most famous role?
He is best known for playing John B. in the Netflix series Outer Banks.
What is Chase Stokes’s birth date?
He was born on September 16, 1992.
Where was Chase Stokes born?
He was born in Annapolis, Maryland, USA.
Does Chase Stokes have children?
There are no confirmed reports that Chase Stokes has children.
When does Outer Banks season 5 come out?
Season 5 premieres on August 20, 2026 on Netflix.
For Chase Stokes, 2026 is a year of endings and beginnings — the final season of the show that made him famous, a relationship cycle that keeps turning, and two new films on the horizon. For fans tracking his every move, the choice is clear: wait for official confirmation on the relationship front, or rely on the reports that paint a picture of reconciliation. Either way, the next chapter starts in August.
Arthur Oliver Howard Fletcher is a staff writer for NationalReport.uk, covering UK national news, politics, the economy and public services. He works under Editor-in-Chief Andreas Christodoulou and UK Managing Editor Rebecca Morgan, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.