Outer Banks' Rudy Pankow Has Fought Many Rumors About Girlfriend Elaine Siemek

"Outer Banks" star Rudy Pankow went public with girlfriend Elaine Siemek in 2020 and it's pretty clear they're smitten. However, that hasn't stopped haters from spreading some pretty vicious rumors about their relationship. 

The cast and crew of "Outer Banks" are tight knit, to say the least. It's not exactly surprising, then, that as the assistant to writer and director Jonas Pate, Siemek has long shared glimpses into her bond with the show's stars, like Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes. In fact, in honor of the show wrapping its first season back in 2019, Siemek took to Instagram to share a photo dump of the cast and crew's after-hours antics. "A family for life," she gushed. That said, it's safe to say she was a little closer with one cast member, in particular. In November 2020, Pankow revealed that they were dating in a short but sweet Instagram post of his own. "You give me butterflies everyday," he wrote. 

Since going IG official, Pankow has kept their relationship close to his chest, for the most part. Siemek, meanwhile, has shared a smattering of pics, often nestled in between shots of the rest of the cast and crew hanging out. A low-key couple, no doubt ... but even that hasn't stopped trolls from making some seriously damaging claims against Siemek. 

When it comes to Hollywood couples and haters, unfortunately, the two are often synonymous. However, sometimes things reach a point where the star in question has to step in — and in the case of Rudy Pankow and Elaine Siemek, that's exactly what happened. 

Back in 2021, Pankow took to Instagram to address those intent on painting Siemek in a bad light, and implore them to stop suggesting that she was "abusive and manipulative." And, though he didn't go into specifics, or name and shame the accounts responsible, it's likely that at least one of the rumors he was referring to revolved around a video of them on a night out. In the clip circulated on TikTok, more than one account suggested that Siemek was driving a wedge between Pankow and his fans. Their perceived smoking gun? Siemek walked away from the group of fans while holding Pankow's hand. That was described as Siemek forcefully yanking him away ... and suffice it to say, the "Outer Banks" actor didn't appreciate the "concerns." 

"To those who are creating such displeasure and opinions about the one I love and my relationship, it's time to stop," he wrote. He added that, even though social media allowed users to share their thoughts, there was line, and fans needed "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." Slow claps. 

Unfortunately for the "Outer Banks" colleagues-turned-lovebirds, Rudy Pankow's post couldn't deter all the haters. A year after he took to Instagram, another damning claim against Elaine Siemek surfaced. This time, trolls accused her of cheating on the actor ... but she wasn't about to take that lying down. 

In response to a video, which was said to be of Siemek kissing another man, Siemek addressed those responsible in an Instagram story. And, unlike Pankow's more diplomatic post the year prior, she did so in a pretty epic fashion. "Y'all stupid as hell for thinking that's me," she began, before pointing to all the things that proved it wasn't her. Speaking to the date the video was taken, she quipped, "We were flying from Barbados to Italy so." And, in a hilariously self-deprecating footnote, she added to the physical clues that it wasn't her. "I pick my nails from anxiety so my hand for sure doesn't look like that," she wrote. That said, her story wasn't without an appeal to leave her and Pankow in peace. "Please stop posting bulls*** narratives that you made up because you're bored. It's exhausting and embarrassing," she urged. 

Several months later, that seems to have done the trick, and the couple and their co-workers are happy as ever. It just goes to show: even though Pankow sweetly defended his love in the past, sometimes responding directly is the best way to get bullies to back down.