Charleston: Madelyn Cline Shares Her Best Love Advice at Film Premiere

Madelyn Cline says she’s still “figuring out” love but offered a simple piece of advice: don’t be afraid to fall for someone. Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Charleston, S.C., premiere of her new romance movie The Map That Leads to You on Aug. 10, the Outer Banks star admitted she doesn’t see herself as an expert in the subject.

“Best love advice? I don’t know. Fall in love, don’t be afraid of it,” she said. “Historically, I haven’t been the most successful [at love], so don’t take advice from me until I figure it out.”

A Look Back at Her Relationship with Pete Davidson

Cline most recently dated comedian Pete Davidson, with the pair linked from September 2023 until their 2024 breakup. She has kept details of the romance private, though in an interview with Allure she quipped: “The jokes, they write themselves. And I said it before, and I’ll say it again, that is my only comment.” She later added that Davidson “has a really cute dog and some really great girlfriends now.”

Her Past Romance with Outer Banks Co-Star Chase Stokes

Before Davidson, Cline was in a public relationship with her Outer Banks co-star Chase Stokes. The couple, who first met in 2019 before the series began filming, went public in 2020. They split after less than two years in 2021.

Speaking on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast earlier this year, Cline reflected on the challenges of dating in the public eye: “I didn’t realize the repercussions of inviting so many people into something so intimate. I was just so in love.”

Public Breakups and Identity Struggles

Cline admitted the public attention on her relationship with Stokes made their breakup more difficult. “You look at any public breakup and so many people are invested, and of course that was really hard,” she said. “At the time, Outer Banks and that public relationship was kind of my identity. I didn’t know which way was up or down. I’m still figuring that out.”

New Movie Shines a Light on Romance

Her latest film, The Map That Leads to You — set to premiere on Aug. 20 — stars Cline as a young woman who sets out on a European adventure before her carefully planned life is turned upside down by an unexpected romance. The movie also stars KJ Apa, Sofia Wylie, and Madison Thompson.