Chase Stokes has broken his silence about the near-fatal health crisis that struck after wrapping the final season of Outer Banks.
The 33-year-old Netflix star, who has played John B Routledge since the teen drama debuted in 2020, revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure shortly after production ended. Stokes explained that years of grueling physical demands on set had pushed his body past its breaking point.
“I had so much s— wrong,” he confessed after finishing the show’s fifth and final season.
“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. Medical tests also revealed his testosterone was “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.”
Stokes said the health scare forced him to stop and focus entirely on recovery rather than immediately launching into his next project. He began seeing an internal medicine doctor and underwent blood tests every other week, along with 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.
The actor described the experience as a profound wake-up call about chronic burnout in the entertainment industry, where intense physical tolls are often masked by tight deadlines and high expectations. He urged fellow performers and fans 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 he insists that continuing therapy has been crucial even without knowing the root causes of his condition. 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 said, explaining that this mindset led him to pause and prioritize his health before considering his next career move.
“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.
In the viral moment that preceded this revelation, Stokes had already been open about his mental health journey in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE published earlier. At that time, he described staying grounded while in the public eye as “an ever-evolving battle” and emphasized that he was “actively” working on his wellness through weekly therapy sessions. He had also partnered with Zenni Optical for the Vision of Wellness campaign, which donated proceeds to Bring Change to Mind, a youth-oriented nonprofit focused on mental health education. “I grew up in a time where [mental health] wasn’t destigmatized,” he said. “[Seeking out resources] was very much [perceived as], ‘you’re giving up’ or ‘you’re not strong enough to handle it.'” His recent health crisis appears to have deepened this commitment to holistic wellness.
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.
All five seasons of Outer Banks are currently streaming on Netflix.