Who Is Rudy Pankow's Girlfriend? All About Elaine Siemek

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Steven Simione/WireImage

Appearing on the hit seriesOuter Banksbrought Rudy Pankow more than just fame — it’s also how he met his girlfriend,Elaine Siemek.

The two both worked on the Netflix series until Pankow leftOuter Banksafter its fourth season. Pankow played JJ Maybank and Siemek works as an assistant. She is also a professional film photographer andsometimes shares photosof theOuter Bankscast on Instagram.

While the pair keep the details of their relationship relatively private, they have given fans the occasional glimpse into their romance on social media.

In November 2023, Pankow celebrated Siemek’s 28th birthday with a sweet shout-out onInstagram.

“Wherever we head out to, it always feels like home with you. Here’s to another year in the bag! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!! I love you,” he wrote alongside a photo of the couple on one of their many tropical adventures.

So, who is Rudy Pankow’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about Elaine Siemek and her relationship with the actor.

She also works onOuter Banks

Presley Ann/Getty

Siemek and her boyfriend both work on the Netflix seriesOuter Banks, which is where they first met. While Pankow stars as loyal sidekick JJ Maybank, Siemek works behind the scenes as an assistant to showrunnerJonas Pate.

On Feb. 18, 2023, Siemek attended Poguelandia — anOuter Banksexperience in Huntington Beach, California — with Pankow. The free event, which included music, food and games, was to promote the show’s highly-anticipated season 3.

She and Pankow have been linked since at least November 2020

Elaine Siemek Instagram

Siemek and Pankow keep their romance private, but they have been publicly linked since November 2020, when theOuter Banksstar shared photos of Siemek onInstagramfor her birthday.

Pankow captioned the carousel, “You give me butterflies everyday … literally. Happy Birthday PBM❤️.”

She’s close with theOuter Bankscast

In addition to Pankow, Siemek is pals with the rest of the hit show’s cast, and regularly posts photos from the set withMadelyn Cline,Chase Stokes,Madison Baileyand Jonathan Daviss.

After season 1 finished filming in October 2019, Siemek shared a series ofphotosof her and theOuter Banksstars with the caption, “I have such an insane amount of love for the cast and crew of Outer Banks. A family for life.” She also posted a snap of the cast celebrating after wrapping season 3 in 2021. “From the Barbados archives,” Siemek wrote next to aphotoof her, Pankow and the rest of the squad at dinner.

After fans found outPankow was leaving the showfollowing his death in the show’s fourth season, there was fan speculation that it might be because of a rumored feud between Bailey, Pankow and Siemek. However, a source told PEOPLE in November 2024 that those rumors are not true.

Pankow defended her in November 2021

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

In November 2021, Pankow shared onInstagramthat his girlfriend had beenthe target of ongoing harassment from his fans.

Pankow wrote, “I want to thank my amazing fans/followers who have shown nothing but love and support and are here for just a fun time. Unfortunately I’m here to call out the disrespect and harassment someone who I love dearly is getting on a daily basis. It has gotten to the degree where lies are being spread and accusations are being said that go beyond the normal ‘hate.’ "

He continued, “Not only is she not what she is being accused of being, she is the complete opposite and actively is so. Accusing someone you don’t know of being abusive and manipulative is not ok, especially when you don’t know the relationship personally.”

Three years later, he explained why he publicly defended his girlfriend in an October 2024 interview withCosmopolitan.

“I think a lot of people can intertwine a narrative and what they want to believe. And they take it out on someone that doesn’t deserve it,” he said. “That’s unfortunate and it’s hard. And what’s even more unfortunate is that it’s not in my control. That’s why I spoke up — no one should go through something like that.”

She is a film photographer

Siemek isn’t only an assistant onOuter Banks. According toher website, she also works as a professional film photographer. Siemek describes herself as “a film photographer who enjoys taking environmental portraits,” noting that she uses “professional SLR and TLR cameras, point-and-shoots, Polaroids, and Super 8s to capture the beauty in front of me.”

She and Pankow balance work with their personal lives

Rudy Pankow Instagram

In anApril 2020 interview withSeventeen, Pankow said that hisOuter Bankscharacter has taught him how important it is to make sure he balances work and his personal life.

Pankow said, “JJ taught me how to balance both worlds of not only acting as JJ, but also balancing work and not work. If it’s cherishing your family time or being in a relationship at some point, there’s a balance to everything.”

The pair also rang in Pankow’s birthday in August with a “full moon swim,” as Siemek wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for making life sweeter, I love you beyond,” she wrote next to a series ofvideosfrom their night excursion.

She and Pankow were in a short film together

In July 2020, writer and director Alyssa Toledo released theshort filmVirgo, starring both Pankow and Siemek. The five-minute movie features the pair around the 2:30 mark. The short also features Pankow’sOuter Bankscostar Drew Starkey.

Fans once accused Siemek of selling photos of Pankow

Dave Starbuck/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

In August 2021, fans ofOuter Banksaccused Siemek of selling photos of her boyfriend to fan accounts. The accusations became so bad that Siemek had to defend herself, sharing inan Instagram storythat she had never sold a photo to anyone.

“I just want to make this clear since people like to say anything on the internet with no proof. I’ve never sent ‘exclusive’ photos or videos of Rudy to any fan account ever,” Siemek wrote. “I would definitely never do that without his permission. I’ve only ever sent 1 birthday video to someone that Rudy was a part of and agreed to be in. Please stop spreading baseless lies about me and please stop harassing me and my family over things you have no proof of.”

Siemekcalled out Pankow’s fans againin an Instagram story after she was accused of cheating on the actor in October 2022.

“Y’all stupid as hell for thinking that’s me and also on the ‘1st of last month’ we were flying from Barbados to Italy so 😂,” she wrote. “Please stop posting bull—- narratives that you make up because you’re bored. It’s exhausting and embarrassing.

She and Pankow love to travel together

Two months later, Siemek and Pankowmade their way to Mexico.

“Día de Muertos carnivals, Teotihuacan pyramids, the restoration of a Mayan artifact, mezcal, art, music, food…we ❤️ Mexico City,” the pro photographer captioned a slew of images and videos on Instagram.

Then, in February 2023, the pair found themselves onthe island of Moorea in French Polynesia. Siemek and Pankow spent most of their time in the picture-perfect water and hanging out with a few of the island’s stray dogs.

“Pwuh… thank you earth for moorea!❤️,” theOuter Banksstar commented on Siemek’s Instagram post.

source: people.com