6 Ways to Majorly Upgrade Your Afternoon Snack Break

Madeline Bachelder
Feb 23, 2016

Unexpected pairings are kind of our jam. Salty and sweet, dark and mysterious, painterly and patterned — these combos are some of our favorites. And the snack department is no exception. I don’t know about you, but right around 3pm I definitely need a pick-me-up — and a glass of water and bag of chips just doesn’t do the job. That’s why we were thrilled to pair up (pun very much intended) with Curate to create a collection of six bar and beverage pairings that will seriously upgrade your next afternoon snack break.

Before we get to these yummy combos, a little more about our partner, Curate: This new snack brand takes a unique approach to the art of a delicious, healthy and filling bar. They curate wholesome ingredients, like orange zest, balsamic vinegar, quinoa and chia seeds, and combine them every way under the sun until they find the best and tastiest combo. But it’s not just about flavors here — Curate bars are non-GMO and gluten-free, they have no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors and each bar has less than 200 calories. For real. Pick up your own box of bars in person at Kroger or Target.

We love that you can actually see the ingredients that go into each bar, and that they’re not gummy or tough to chew. They *really* taste homemade. As soon as we got our hands on a few of these bars, we were immediately inspired to create six unexpectedly delicious drink pairings to go with each flavor.

Follow along to check out each recipe!

BASIL COCONUT SMOOTHIE + IRRESISTIBLE DARK CHOCOLATE BAR

Ready to transport yourself to a beachy locale? Us too. Inspired by the combo of dark chocolate, pistachios and strawberries, we created an herbaceous smoothie designed to pair perfectly with the Irresistible Dark Chocolate bar.

Ingredients:
— 3 cups pineapple chunks

— 1 cup basil leaves

— 1 cup spinach leaves

— 1 Tablespoons hemp seeds

— 1 can coconut milk

— 2 Tablespoons lime juice

— coconut flakes for garnish

Instructions:
1. Place all the ingredients (except coconut flakes) into a blender, then blend until combined.

2. Pour into a glass and garnish with coconut flakes.

Place pineapple chunks, basil leaves, spinach leaves, hemp seeds, coconut milk and lime juice into a blender.

Blend!

Pour into a glass and garnish with coconut flakes. You can also toss in a basil leaf if you want a little extra green.

Now that’s a snack scene we can definitely get behind.

LAVENDER EARL GREY TEA LATTE + SALTED DECADENCE BAR

Lavender Earl Grey Tea Latte — say that five times fast! The ingredients list alone makes our mouths water, especially paired with the Salted Decadence bar, which features hemp seeds, Marcona almonds, quinoa, dark chocolate and sea salt.

Ingredients:
— 1 Tablespoon loose leaf Earl Grey tea

— 3 1/2 Tablespoons culinary lavender buds

— 2 cups water

— 1 cup sugar

— ½ cup milk

— ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. First, make a lavender simple syrup by combining 3 Tablespoons lavender, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then strain and set aside to cool.

2. Add 1 Tablespoon loose leaf Earl Grey tea and ½ Tablespoon lavender buds to a tea infuser over hot water, and let steep to your liking.

3. While the tea is steeping, add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract to ½ cup milk and steam it.

4. Once your tea has steeped, add 1 Tablespoon lavender simple syrup to the tea.

5. Pour into a mug and top with your vanilla steamed milk, then garnish with lavender buds.

First, make a lavender simple syrup by combining three Tablespoons lavender, one cup sugar and one cup water in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for five minutes, then strain and set aside to cool.

Add one Tablespoon loose leaf Earl Grey tea and ½ Tablespoon lavender buds to a tea infuser over hot water, and let steep to your liking.

While the tea is steeping, add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract to ½ cup milk and steam it.

Once your tea has steeped, add one Tablespoon lavender simple syrup to the tea.

Pour into a mug and top with your vanilla steamed milk, then garnish with lavender buds.

Also how cute is this mug? Learn to make your own tissue paper tea set right here.

MINT ICED COFFEE + INDULGENT BAR

Need a real pick-me-up? Then a little jolt of caffeine is just what the doctor ordered. The Indulgent bar has a rich combo of dark chocolate, vanilla, almonds and hazelnuts. Yum.

Ingredients:

— coffee

— 1 cup sugar

— 1 cup water

— 1 bunch fresh mint

— half + half

— ice

Instructions:

1. Make mint simple syrup by adding together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 1 bunch of mint leaves in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then strain out the mint and let cool.

2. Add coffee to a glass of ice, then add half + half to taste. Add about a Tablespoon of mint simple syrup.

3. Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy!

Start by whipping up a batch of mint simple syrup. Combine one cup sugar, one cup water and one bunch of mint leaves in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for five minutes, then strain out the mint and let cool.

Add coffee to a glass of ice, then add half + half to taste. Add about a Tablespoon of mint simple syrup.

Add a sprig of mint leaves for the finishing touch.

Enjoy!

ALMOND MILK HORCHATA + HARMONIOUS BLEND BAR

This combo’s all about those grains. The fruity flavors of apricot and lemon complement a glass of dessert-like horchata beautifully. The Harmonious Blend bar also features Marcona almonds and quinoa, giving it a robust flavor that satisfies even the hungriest of moments.

Ingredients:
— 1 cup white rice

— 4 cups water

— 2 cinnamon sticks

— 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

— 1 cup almond milk

— ⅓ cup brown sugar

— 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

— ice

Instructions:
1. Wash and drain the rice, then combine with cinnamon sticks in water. Let soak overnight in the fridge.

2. Discard the cinnamon sticks and add rice and water into a blender. Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and blend on low for 5 minutes until combined.

3. Pour the blended rice mixture through a fine mesh sieve. If there are still rice bits present, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth or coffee filter.

4. Pour your rice mixture into a pitcher, then add milk, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir well.

5. Pour over a glass of ice, add cinnamon and enjoy!

First, wash and drain the rice, then combine with cinnamon sticks in water. Let soak overnight in the fridge.

After you’ve let the rice mix soak, discard the cinnamon sticks and add rice and water into a blender. Add ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and blend on low for five minutes until combined.

Pour the blended rice mixture through a fine mesh sieve. If there are still rice bits present, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth or coffee filter.

Pour your rice mixture into a pitcher, then add milk, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir well.

When you’re ready to serve, pour over a glass of ice, add cinnamon and voila. C’est magnifique!

This one doubles as dessert ;)

ORANGE ICED TEA + DARK & TEMPTING BAR

This decadent combo evokes the flavors of fall with a refreshing combo of Mission figs and citrus. In addition to Mission figs, the Dark & Tempting bar is made up of balsamic vinegar, hazelnuts and orange zest.

Ingredients
— ½ gallon water

— 2 cold brew tea bags

— 1 cup sugar

— ½ orange

— ½ lemon

— 2 Tablespoon honey

— orange + lemon slices for garnish

— ice

Instructions
1. Combine the juice of half an orange and half a lemon.

2. Add the juice mixture, honey and sugar to the half gallon of water and stir.

3. Add the cold brew tea bags and let steep for 3 minutes.

4. Remove the tea bags and pour over ice.

Start by squeezing the juice of half an orange and half a lemon. Combine.

Add the juice mixture, honey and sugar to the half gallon of water and stir.

Add cold brew tea bags and let steep for three minutes.

Don’t you love that ombre vibe in the pitcher? So citrusy!

Delightful.

MATCHA GREEN TEA COCONUT MILK LATTE + SWEET & TART BAR

This is easily the most colorful drink and snack combo we’ve ever seen. The Sweet & Tart bar includes berries, almonds, chia seeds, quinoa and flax seeds, and it packs a serious punch.

Ingredients:
— 1 teaspoon matcha

— ¼ cup hot water

— ¼ cup coconut milk, warmed

— 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions:
1. Sift the matcha powder to get rid of lumps.

2. Add the sifted matcha, 1 Tablespoon honey and ¼ cup hot water to the warm coconut milk and whisk until fully combined.

3. Pour into a mug and serve!

Start out by sifting the matcha powder to get rid of lumps. Add the sifted matcha, one Tablespoon honey and ¼ cup hot water to the warm coconut milk and whisk until fully combined.

Pour into a mug and serve!

Done and done.

No more hangry afternoons! :)

Making any of these recipes? If so, we want to see the results! Share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #iamcreative and #TasteCurate so we can take a look.

This post is a collaboration with Curate.

Authored by: Maddie Bachelder
 Recipe Development + Food Styling: Maddie Bachelder, Anita Yung
Photography: Kurt Andre

Collaboration Hacks Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Verizon
verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Therise Edwards, founder/CEO of Teshley Solutions, an education consultancy firm that helps students and families navigate the complexities of the education system K through 12.

What is an unexpected business challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn't call myself a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) expert, but I ended up having to know a lot more about it than I ever anticipated. FAFSA is what administers Pell Grants, which is what a lot of colleges base their financial aid on. I knew about the application changes, and some were excellent, but they made a series of critical errors and a lot of parents were scrambling. It was not my intent to have this as my area of focus; it just became a necessity.

What's a recent small win for your business?

Recent small wins are my collaborations. I formed partnerships with one organization that focuses on students with special needs. I hosted a webinar with the executive director of that organization. I formed a partnership with members from an insurance company on planning and paying for college. That was my first corporate sponsorship. And I've got a series of events coming out because others actually reached out to me. One of them I met through another networking platform, but I got to that platform from one of the sessions that I did with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program.

How did you start to collaborate with external partners?

Just changing my strategies and my approach, and just being more secure and more emphatic in making connections. It ends up being this continual cycle.

Is there a woman in business that you admire or that you look up to?

I have two. Leontyne Anglin, who runs a nonprofit called Beyond Expectations. She works with a small pool of students, but she just gives them enormous exposure and opportunity. She's brilliant with collaborating with individuals and businesses and really bringing the students what they need. And then the other on a bigger scale is Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, who taught her Business Plan Bootcamp through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. She is just a dynamo. She is just so supportive of women entrepreneurs. She's awesome.

How did the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program help propel your business forward?

All of the collaborations and partnerships with the exception of one all came from joining the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. I’ve taken all of the free classes and the one on projections and pricing, something every entrepreneur struggles with, was very helpful. There have been so many of them. Sometimes you're completely ignorant in a category so you take the class and it's like, okay, that's good to have. But then sometimes you sign up for it and it's like, oh, yeah, I did know 90 percent of that, but this other 10 percent is going to be very, very helpful.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Teshley Solutions.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces


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The First Live-Action 'Moana' Set Leaks Have Me Dreaming Of A Hawaii Vacation

In the age of live action remakes, plenty of our favorite Disney Princesses have gotten the IRL treatment. Mulan, Ariel, and Jasmine's stories are all available to stream on Disney+ (plus the upcoming live Lilo & Stitch), and now, not only are we getting an animated Moana 2 this fall, but Disney is also giving us a live action remake of the 2016 movie.

Here's the latest news on the live-action Moana before we travel back to Motunui!

See The First Set Leaks From Moana! 

The first leaks from the live Moana show off Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui. While I was a little apprehensive about a live-action version of the movie, this actually makes me excited! It takes "embodying a role" to a whole new level.

And the set looks BEAUTIFUL. Considering they're filming in Hawaii, I'm not surprised.

When is the live-action Moana coming out?

Walt Disney Studios

Moana Release Date

Moana is currently scheduled for a July 10, 2026 release date. According to a Disney press release, the movie starts filming summer 2024.

Who is the actress who plays Moana?

Walt Disney Studios

Moana Cast

The live-action Moana will be played by Catherine Laga‘aia. “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” she says in a Disney press release. “My grandfather comes from Fa‘aala, Palauli, in Savai‘i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.”

Laga'aia stars alongside Dwane "The Rock" Johnson as Maui (who he also voiced in the animated film), John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as the revered Gramma Tala.

Even though original voice actress Auli‘i Cravalho isn't returning as Moana, she'll be executive producing the new Disney movie!

Will there be a live-action Moana?

Walt Disney Studios

Yes, we're getting a live-action Moana! The new movie will be directed by Thomas Kail (who did Hamilton on Broadway and Disney+ as well as We Were the Lucky Ones), with Dana Ledoux Miller and the original film's screenwriter Jared Bush penning this script.

Are you excited for the live-action Moana? This is going to be a perfect summer movie!

This post has been updated.

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How To Build A Local Community When You’re A Digital Creator

Verizon
verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Rita Suzanne, a marketing strategist for health and wellness businesses who learned to network, connect with other entrepreneurs, and build her business online and IRL.

What's an unexpected business challenge that you've had to face and how did you overcome it?

The hardest thing for me was my sister passed away and I ended up taking custody of my nieces. I ended up being a single mom of four kids. This is the thing that transitioned my whole entire life. I stopped doing web design and started my podcast Mom Owned and Operated. I wanted to reconnect with other moms and figure out how they were able to run their businesses and raise a family and take care of themselves because I wasn't able to do all three at the same time. Through that journey, I realized that I really needed to connect with other people and how important it was for my business. It helped me to create that community that I was yearning for that I didn't realize that I needed.

What's a recent small win for your business?

For me, the win was just pivoting back to something that I actually wanted to do. Also, I’ve started to say no to things that I no longer want to do.

Who is a woman in business that you look up to and why?

I have always admired and looked up to Amy Porterfield [author of Two Weeks Notice]. I listened to her all the time when I was starting out. I think that she's amazing and I love her stuff. She just seems like a very genuine person.

Is there a resource that has made an impact on you as an entrepreneur?

I listen to a lot of audio books. One of my favorites that has been huge for me is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I was told when I first started my business, by a friend who was a business coach, that I have a mindset problem. Ten years ago, I had no idea even what “mindset” was. Sincero’s book helped me to see what she meant by “mindset” and helped me adjust that mindset and fix some of the things that I didn't realize were broken.

How has the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program helped propel your business forward?

There are a lot of things that I have loved about it. There are local networking and training opportunities, and that has been great, and the online training is very valuable. It's a great resource. I find that marketing needs a three-tiered approach, meaning you need to network it locally, socially, and then also have a very comprehensive online approach to your marketing. One of the Verizon Small Business trainings that I took was all about taking advantage of your local resources. I found that to be extremely valuable because often people think they need to just focus on social media. I don't think that people focus enough on their local community.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Rita Suzanne.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

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Here's The Real Reason JJ Died, According To A Source

Major Outer Banks season 4 part 2 spoilers ahead. Like, the biggest spoiler of the whole series.

Outer Banks season 4 has come and gone, and after just completely weeping during the finale, I'm ready to commune with my fellow heartbroken Pogues. We've had four seasons of crazy adventures around the OBX (and around the world), and after surviving yet another storm, finally finding the Blue Crown, and even beginning a reconciliation with Rafe, we had to say goodbye to one of the Pogues during part 2— and I'm so genuinely upset I don't know if I can watch the show again. Here's what actually happened during that insane Outer Banks season 4 ending.

The Outer Banks Season 4 Ending, Explained

  • Outer Banks season 4 part 2 premiered on Netflix November 7.
  • Among various plot twists, the series shocked viewers by killing off one fan favorite character.
  • Here's why the tragedy was "the overarching plan for the show."

Is Rudy Pankow leaving OBX?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

After traveling to Morocco to find the Blue Crown, the Pogues (and Rafe, who I guess is a Pogue now??) once again find themselves in a race against Chandler Groff and Dalia & Lightener. Our favorite couples get some quality time, like JJ and Kiara talking about the legend that the crown grants wishes, but right when the group finally starts to crack the treasure map, a sand storm splits them up: Sarah and John B. running from Dalia's men, and Pope and Cleo holding off Lightener while JJ and Kiara find the crown.

And things look up when JJ actually does find the crown! And he and Kiara escape Dalia! But when they run into Groff, who holds Kiara at knifepoint, JJ is forced to choose between the crown and the girl he loves. He willingly gives the crown up, pulling Kiara to safety in a heartbreaking parallel to their sweet hug from season 1. And in a moment of heartless cruelty, Groff stabs JJ anyway, leaving him in Kiara's arms as Groff runs away with the treasure.

It's truly one of the most devastating scenes in recent TV. Kie sits with JJ as he struggles to breathe and he asks her to take care of the other Pogues before telling her he already got his wish — her. They say one final "I love you" and JJ dies. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I was weeping.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

"It’s something that's engineered to be gratuitous," showrunner Shannon Burke told EW. "JJ totally is at peace, that’s the intent. He’s gotten past this. He’s been in a bad place and has been spinning for a lot of the season...And you feel when he comes back [after saving Sarah] that he’s in a better place and that there’s a long and bright future with him and Kiara, so it makes it extra tragic, what happens." Yeah, Shannon, you could say that.

“We wanted to begin in a place of innocence and then go to a place that at least one point to go is really dark for [the kids], and then have them come out of it," he adds in a Deadline interview. "That’s the overarching plan for the show. It was always JJ that was going to be, we just weren’t sure how we were going to play it.”

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Fans weren't happy about the choice to kill off such a fan favorite character, claiming it felt rushed and that the relationships between JJ and the rest of the group were weaker this season. Well, according to one DeuxMoi source, JJ's death was actually supposed to happen in the series finale. But with all those cast drama rumors, Rudy Pankow is rumored to have asked to be written off the show early.

"They filmed episode 10 before the last episodes of the first half & Rudy didn't tell the cast so it threw them off," the source says. "In the last episode you can see how mad everyone was at Rudy. It's a mess and it pissed off production but they are going to brush it off like it's ‘always been the plan.’”

Is JJ coming back in season 5?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

I'm simultaneously pissed and very impressed with this finale. JJ's death immediately started trending on social media, and the fact that a single scene could get such a visceral reaction from millions of fans shows how much we care about this character. And the realization that burying him in Morocco fulfills his greatest fear of being left alone?? I can't handle it.

Despite the fact John B. checks JJ's pulse and we can see Rafe digging JJ's grave in the sand, some fans are hoping the show will bring him back after Ward, Big John, and Sarah have all technically returned from the dead. The show hasn't forayed into true supernatural territory yet, but if the crown really does grant Kie and rest of the Pogues a wish? I'm certain they'd wish JJ back to life.

"Why would they create a treasure with the power of invincibility and wishes if it wasn’t significant?" one X user says in a viral thread. "So either Chandler finds JJ's body in Morocco and uses the crown on him or Kie / the Pogues will wish for JJ's life back."

Stranger Things 4 brought a version of Billy (Dacre Montgomery) back to haunt Sadie Sink's Max, so at the very least we could see memories or scenes with JJ we've never seen before. "I wouldn’t put [Rudy Pankow's return] out of the realm of possibility, Shannon told EW. "I wouldn’t say for sure but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened."

Is Sarah pregnant in OBX 4?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

With the "death of the fandom's favorite character" of it all, you might have forgotten that yes — Sarah Cameron is pregnant! Season 5 is sure to give us some more info about the baby and parents-to-be, but considering JJ, who's the baby's godfather, suggested his name is a great gender-neutral option, there's a chance we already know the baby's name ;). It would be the perfect way to honor him TBH.

What's up with the rest of the Pogues?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

In addition to Sarah's pregnancy, she also finally starts to make up with Rafe, who finds himself stuck with the Pogues in Morocco. Cleo has somewhat avenged Terrance's murder with Lightener's death — even though Pope's the one who will take the fall for it. Killing one of this season's bad guys was a huge step for Pope since John B. wasn't able to pull the trigger. And considering Pope is still on the run from the cops AND the Marines are waiting on him I have no idea what's in store for him next season.

But the showrunners did give us a clue as to what the final season of Outer Banks will revolve around: revenge.

What's going to happen in Outer Banks season 5?

Netflix

“[Revenge] is where we start but I think it will go through different iterations,” Jonas Pate says (via Deadline). “If you look at The Count of Monte Cristo, one of the greatest revenge stories, you start with revenge, but it goes to understanding and forgiveness, so revenge goes on to different iterations of that, but revenge is where we start for sure.”

In the final moments of the Outer Banks season 4 ending, the Pogues sit around a fire in the aftermath of JJ's death. And when they finally acknowledge that JJ wouldn't rest until he had avenged them, Kiara vows to get even and it's one of the most chilling moments of her entire character arc.

"What’s interesting about her is she’s this 'save the turtles, save the dolphins' kind of person, and when you see her at the end of [season] 4, she definitely does not look that like anymore," Shannon Burke tells EW. "She has turned into a different person and we’re excited for that and [Madison Bailey's] really excited for that."

"We’re planning a story of redemption, and a season that embodies the friendship that JJ had come to represent," co-creators Josh and Jonas Pates tell Netflix. "JJ's death was a hard but necessary piece of the architecture for the story, and we plan on honoring that as much as we can because we love the character as much as the fans do."

What did you think of the Outer Banks season 4 ending? Let us know on Instagram.

This post has been updated.

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LOL, An 'Outer Banks' Cast Member Just Totally Called Fans Out

Outer Banks fans cried saying goodbye to JJ when part 2 dropped on November 7, but I wasn't expecting the Outer Banks cast's goodbye to Rudy Pankow to make me equally emotional. The TV show is a standout because of how electric the cast's chemistry is onscreen — and how close they are offscreen.

But according to some sources, a rift reportedly formed between Rudy Pankow (JJ) and Madison Bailey (Kiara) after fans picked up on their chemistry and started shipping them IRL...like, really intensely. Despite the fact the creators promise this was the plan since season 1, OBX fans are convinced their rumored fallout is the reason Rudy left the show.

Keep reading for the full breakdown on the rumored Outer Banks cast drama between Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow.

  • Outer Banks cast members Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Rudy Pankow, Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey, and Carlacia Grant are incredibly close offscreen.
  • It seems drama started between Rudy and Madison after fans who shipped their characters started shipping the actors in real life.
  • And a variety of OBX fans think this drama is why Rudy chose to leave the show after season 4.

The Latest Update On The 'Outer Banks' Cast Drama

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

After fans have been VERY loud about the supposed cast drama, Carlacia Grant (Cleo) made me laugh out loud when she posted her OBX 4 Instagram post — and seemingly called fans out in the comments. The roundup includes cast group pictures, a snap of Drew Starkey, and Morocco, and she captioned the post, "If I drop these are y’all gonna act right?"

Why aren't Rudy and Madison friends anymore?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey were best friends during season 1 (Madison called Rudy her "bestie," and said that in any situation, "he's the first person I'm going to call"). But rumors of a fallout came after the show went viral in 2020. Fans picked up on their onscreen chemistry and started shipping the actors in addition to shipping their characters JJ and Kiara (the internet shipped the fictional couple so hard, in fact, that the relationship was written into the show despite it not being the team's original plan).

"Madison and Kiara, and Rudy and JJ, are two different people," Madison said in a 2020 Entertainment Tonight interview after the relationship started picking up steam. "Let's keep the ships on the show. But as far as the show, I'm all for it."

After publicity for Outer Banks season 2 began, fans noticed Rudy and Madison didn't seem to have the same connection in public, and even appeared to avoid each other on set — a far cry from their adorable interactions during press for season 1.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Fans started outright blaming Rudy's girlfriend Elaine Seimek, who was originally a PA on the show, for causing a rift between the two actors. Madison herself shut down the rumors with a TikTok promising they all had no problems, while Rudy Pankow took to Instagram to defend his girlfriend.

"To those who are creating such displeasure and opinions about the one I love and my relationship, it’s time to stop," Rudy Pankow said in an August 6, 2021 post. "I want to express the importance to spread positivity and needing to know when it is unfair to express your own distaste for something or someone, especially when you can do it behind an anonymous identity. I was always told the best version of yourself is your most humbled self…I make this statement as my most humbled self and would be so grateful if we all would move forward in positivity and respect."

Is there drama between the Outer Banks cast?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

The Outer Banks cast drama rumors only intensified after a June 2023 dinner, when Madison Bailey and her partner Mariah Linney reportedly unfollowed Elaine on Instagram. Not to mention the fact Rudy Pankow isn't in any of the Outer Banks season 4 cast videos.

After JJ's death rocked the internet, creators Josh and Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke said that it was always the plan to kill JJ. "For a long time we had known that someone was going to die," showrunner Shannon Burke told Teen Vogue. "We thought it was going to be JJ all along."

However, the fact that JJ and Kiara have been dating for almost 2 years at this point, yet barely react to the other heading into danger has fans thinking Rudy asked to leave the show. And rumors that they filmed multiple endings to give Rudy the option to stay only adds fuel to the fire.

When new episodes of the show dropped in November of 2024, fans almost immediately clocked that Rudy and Madison appear to have used body doubles for a cuddling scene — while Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes (who dated from June 2020 to November 2021) were cozied up across the campfire.

Even though an anonymous source suggested Rudy and Madison aren't friends anymore, and that their chemistry onscreen in season 1 was because they'd fallen for each other IRL, a source told People the actors are not feuding.

But one DeuxMoi source just spilled some serious tea, telling the site that, "Rudy asked them to write him off because of the drama! Production got mad and they had to refilm episodes," they said. "They filmed episode 10 before the last episodes of the first half & Rudy didn't tell the cast so it threw them off. In the last episode you can see how mad everyone was at Rudy. It's a mess and it pissed off production but they are going to brush it off like it's ‘always been the plan.’”

They also revealed that apparently, the plan was to kill JJ off in the series finale, which honestly kind of makes sense.

When did Madison Bailey and Rudy Pankow meet?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy and Madison first met after Rudy had booked the role of JJ and Madison was headed to a final audition. Despite the fact they had mutual friends, they didn't meet until they were on the same plane to Charleston. She told Harper's Bazaar in 2020 that she said hello when they crossed paths, then found a DM from him on social media. “He was like, ‘I knew you were Kiara the second I saw you,’" she said. "I was like, "Oh my God, did this guy three seats up really just DM me?’ He went and found our mutuals, found my page, and messaged me.”

Well, during press for Outer Banks season 4, when the cast was asked who would be most likely to fall in love with a stranger on a plane, Carlacia Grant (Cleo) answered with Madison, leading fans to believe she was confirming the romance rumors.

Did Rudy quit OBX?

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow exited Outer Banks after season 4, and Madison Bailey finally spoke about what JJ means to her in the cast's official goodbye — and got emotional talking about how well Rudy brought the character to life.

"We all read the character on the page," she says. "And we know what you brought to it and you turned it out and really made something of it and paid respect to the depth of the character while bringing a lightheartedness that the show desperately needed."

And during a cast video hyping up JJ's (and Rudy's) best moments from the series, fans were beaming when Rudy and Madison dissected some of the best Jiara moments from season 3. "this video healed me❤️🩹 thank you netflix!" one TikTok user wrote in the comments of Madison talking about JJ and Kiara's first kiss. "I’m so happy [they're] friends bro like fr 🥺🥺," another user said.

Check back here for the latest updates on the Outer Banks cast drama. Read up on why Outer Banks Fans Are Really Not Happy With THAT Death In The OBX Season 4 Ending.

This post has been updated.

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