Outer Banks star Chase Stokes breaks silence on near-fatal health scare after season wrap
Outer Banks star Chase Stokes has opened up about a terrifying, near-fatal health crisis, revealing that he was rushed to the hospital with multiple organ failure shortly after wrapping production on the hit series.
The 33-year-old actor, who has led the high-octane Netflix teen drama as charismatic ringleader John B Routledge since its 2020 debut, detailed how extreme physical exhaustion and prolonged bodily stress ultimately caused his system to collapse.
Speaking about the ordeal, Stokes explained that the relentless demands of filming intense stunts, marathon hours in the water, and back-to-back production schedules pushed his body past its absolute breaking point.
“I had so much s--- wrong,” he confessed after finishing the show's fifth and final season.
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“I left that show… My liver was failing, my kidney was failing. I had so many health issues that I had to figure out, and my brain was all out of whack,” he told THR. His testosterone was also discovered to be “alarmingly low” for a man his age.
“It was a really important time for me to get my bearings right versus just go back into work and mask it.”
A Wake-Up Call on Burnout and Health
Reflecting on the traumatic episode, Stokes revealed that things were so bad, that he began seeing an internal medicine doctor to try and get his body back to normal.
As part of his return to health, the star underwent blood tests every other week and TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, therapy.
“It’s been a lot of work to get back to baseline, and it was definitely scary for a little bit,” he said.
Describing the health scare as a profound wake-up call regarding the dangers of chronic burnout, Stokes openly disclosed just how easy it is to neglect one's physical limits in the entertainment industry
He emphasized that the intense physical toll of action-heavy roles is often masked by tight deadlines and high expectations, urging fellow performers and fans alike to recognize that no project is worth sacrificing one's life or long-term health.
It’s only in the last month that Stokes has begun to feel more like himself - and part of that, he insists, is due to his commitment to continuing therapy despite not knowing the root causes.
By his own admission he ‘knew something was wrong’ but just couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen great people leave this earth too soon for just continuing to go [on], and I have a lot to live for. I have a lot that I want to do, and a lot I want to accomplish,” the actor says, while explaining that it was that mentality which led him to stop, pause and focus on his health before where his next career step might take him.
“Hindsight is 2020, but I probably, unfortunately, wouldn’t have been around much longer if I didn’t take care of my body, which is a really jarring thought,” he admitted.
Having made a full recovery following months of disciplined rest, medical monitoring, and a restructured approach to wellness, Stokes expressed deep gratitude to his medical team, loved ones, and fans as he prepares to transition into the next chapter of his career with a renewed focus on balance.
Topics: Netflix, Film and TV
Phoebe Tonks