Outer Banks Set Drama: Director Jonas Pate Allegedly Attacks Crew Member in Dubrovnik

Things reportedly got tense on the Outer Banks set while the cast and crew were filming in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

According to TMZ, the show’s cocreator and director Jonas Pate allegedly grabbed a production assistant and shook her while yelling at her during an argument.

Sources told the outlet that actors Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline quickly stepped in to stop the situation. Stokes, 33, is said to have pulled Pate away, while Cline, 27, helped calm things down. Despite the chaos, filming reportedly went on afterward.

TMZ also reported that tensions had been running high during production and that Pate’s behavior wasn’t seen as unusual by some crew members. Netflix has not commented on the claims.

Jonas Pate is best known for creating Outer Banks, the hit Netflix series that began in 2020. The show centers on a group of teens divided by class, the wealthy “Kooks” and the working-class “Pogues,” as they chase after hidden treasure along the North Carolina coast. In 2024, it was announced that the fifth season would be the last, closing out the stories of main characters John B, Sarah, JJ, Kiara, Pope, and Cleo.

Outside of Outer Banks, Pate recently launched a new Prime Video series, The Runarounds, in 2025. The show follows a group of young musicians trying to make it big after high school and features his daughter, Lilah Pate, in one of the leading roles.

In an interview with People, Lilah spoke about how much it meant to finally work alongside her father. “Growing up on a film set, I was always drawn to it. I never wanted to leave. I was very much [my dad’s] mini me, his sidekick, always begging to be on set,” she said. “After I had booked a few roles on my own, he saw that this is really what I wanted to do with my life.”

As fans wait for Outer Banks’ final season, the alleged incident in Dubrovnik has left many shocked. It’s a reminder that the pressure behind the camera can sometimes spill over in unexpected ways.

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