With Outer Banks Season 4, Part 2 premiering on Nov. 7, the spotlight is on the show’s cast. One of the show’s stars who’s stolen the hearts of many fans is Rudy Pankow. The actor plays JJ Maybank, the fearless — and sometimes reckless — best friend of John B.(Chase Stokes). Pankow’s character captured the hearts of audiences everywhere as his character is loyal to his fellow Pogues even in the midst of his own personal hardships.
Like JJ, Pankow is also loyal to the ones he cares about, especially his girlfriend, Elaine Siemek. The couple met on the set of Outer Banks in 2019 as Siemek worked as an assistant to the show’s creator and writer, Jonas Pate. It was on set that Pankow and Siemek were able to get to know one another and eventually began dating. So if you’re curious about the details of Pankow and Siemek’s romance, allow us to break down the couple’s relationship timeline.
November 2020
The pair officially took their relationship public when Pankow dedicated an Instagram to Siemek in honor of her birthday. The couple has kept their relationship very private, but this was one of the first looks into their relationship fans received.
August 2021
Siemek found herself the target of online hate by fans of Pankow. However, Pankow stood up for his girl, like a true Pogue would.
In a post shared to his Instagram, the actor wrote, “Unfortunately I’m here to call out the disrespect and harassment someone who I love dearly is getting on a daily basis… Not only is she not what she is being accused of being, she is the complete opposite and actively is so. Accusing someone you don’t know of being abusive and manipulative is not ok, especially when you don’t know the relationship personally.”
Pankow confirmed that while his relationship with Siemek is private, it’s nothing short of amazing.
September and November 2022
The pair decided to take some much-needed vacation time. So why not take a mini-world tour?
In September 2022, Pankow and Siemek were off to Italy! Siemek shared photos on Instagram from their trip that were shot by Pankow. The couple spent some time in Paraggi Portofino where the scenery in the photos looks utterly dreamy.
Two months later, the pair flew to Mexico where they experienced “Día de Muertos carnivals, Teotihuacan pyramids, and the restoration of a Mayan artifact.” The photos Siemek posted were breathtaking and I can see why she said that they loved Mexico City.
February 2023
To wrap up their mini-world tour, the couple went to the island of Moorea, which is in French Polynesia. They couldn’t stay away from the beach and seeing the photos Siemek posted, I understand why. The tropical paradise is drool-worthy.
October 2024
While the dreamy travels of the couple have come to an end, Pankow’s defense of his girl has not. In an interview with Cosmopolitan ahead of the release of Season 4, Part 2 of Outer Banks, Pankow on his complex feelings about social media following the backlash Siemek faced online. “I think a lot of people can intertwine a narrative and what they want to believe.”
He continued, “That’s why I spoke up—no one should go through something like that. And that’s why social media is so tricky because sometimes it can enforce a narrative of a show as an actual narrative. For example, what we’re recording is meant to be consumed in the show. But some people might take it as literal.”
Pankow later confirmed that he was in a happy but private relationship and that while his show storyline was fictional, his relationship with Siemek was anything but.
As a fan, I’m wishing the pair nothing but happiness. Block out the negativity guys, your fans love and support you both.