Drew Starkey's girlfriend: is the Outer Banks star off the market?
Outer Banks breakout star Drew Starkey is not ready to talk about his girlfriend or love life amid persistent rumours and rising Hollywood fame. Life has not been the same for the North Carolina-born actor, who was thrust into the limelight in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Drew Starkey keeps his off-screen relationships out of the spotlight.
- The actor has been rumoured to be dating his Hellraiser co-star Odessa A’zion.
- Starkey is said to have dated Claire Van der Linden while attending Western Carolina University.
Drew Starkey's profile summary
| Full name | Joseph Andrew Starkey |
| Date of birth | November 4, 1993 |
| Age | 31 years old as of February 2025 |
| Place of birth | Hickory, North Carolina, United States |
| Current residence | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m/188 cm) |
| Eye colour | Blue |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Parents | Todd Starkey (father), Jodi Ballard Hutto (mother) |
| Siblings | Brooke Starkey, Mackayla Starkey Davila, Logan Starkey |
| Education | Western Carolina University (English & Theatre Performance)St. Stephens High School, Hickory |
| Profession | Actor |
| Years active | 2014 to date |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter) |
Who is Drew Starkey's girlfriend?
Drew Starkey is possibly single as of February 2025. The Outer Banks star has not introduced anyone to the public, and his Instagram is filled with work-related posts.
Is Drew Starkey married?
Drew Starkey does not have a wife and has never tied the knot. The North Carolina-born actor has been busy climbing the Hollywood ladder.
In 2024, Starkey starred in his first major film role opposite Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer. The actor told WWD in December 2024 that he prefers to work on one thing at a time and will not be pressured by his new-found fame.
I’m not a good multitasker at all. I like to have a singular thing to focus on. A lot of my peers are really good at juggling a lot of different things at once, and I’m like, ‘How do you do that?’ It is nice to put almost all of your energy into one thing, and really experience it fully. That’s the only way that I know how to work, and that’s how I like to work.
Source: Original
Drew Starkey’s dating history
The Outer Banks star has not escaped dating rumours despite remaining tight-lipped about his off-screen romances. Some of his speculated relationships include the following:
Odessa A’zion (since 2021)
Drew Starkey and Odessa A’zion became an inseparable duo around 2021 leading to dating speculations. The pair have not officially confirmed the romance.
Odessa and Drew Starkey co-starred in Hulu’s 2022 supernatural horror movie Hellraiser as each other’s love interests, Riley and Trevor. The duo had undeniable onscreen chemistry, which they took to the red carpet and in interviews.
In February 2022, A’zion accompanied Starkey to the Poguelandia Outer Banks experience to promote the series’ third season. Later in November 2022, Odessa celebrated Drew’s birthday with an Instagram post that featured a series of pictures and videos of them together with the caption,
Happy birthday, Joseph. Keep eating that PB 'n J once a day. It’s really good for your bones.
Source: UGC
Odessa A’zion dated Jaden Smith
The Los Angeles-born actress was previously in a relationship with Jaden Smith for less than a year. Jaden was Odessa's date to the prom before they broke up in the summer of 2018.
Smith mentioned during his appearance on Apple Beat 1 Radio in November 2018 that he wrote the song Fallen Part II as an apology to Odessa.
I did really (destroy) my relationship with Odessa, and this song is kind of like me being like, ‘Yo, I’m sorry,’ because I am sorry, and I’ve already said sorry to her a million times, but this is me saying sorry to her again. That’s what this song is.
Source: Getty Images
Claire Van der Linden (Early 2010s)
Drew Starkey reportedly dated Claire Van der Linden in the early 2010s, according to The Sun. The two went to college together at Western Carolina University, from where Drew graduated magna cum laude in 2016 with a double major in English and Theatre Performance.
Claire and Drew co-starred in the 2014 short sci-fi drama, The Radical Notion of Gene Mutation. Starkey portrayed Patrick Clemens, while Claire played Cailin Harper.
Van der Linden has also featured in the Empire series (2019) as Chastity, the mystery drama Knives and Skin (2019) as Mousy Freshman, a 2020 episode of Chicago Med as Krista Butler and in the 2021 romantic fantasy film Lacy’s Christmas Do-Over as Lacy.
Source: Getty Images
Odessa A’zion is not the only female co-star Starkey is close to
Drew Starkey has a great relationship with his Outer Banks co-star, Madelyn Cline. In his December 2024 interview with Elle, the actor said that he considers Cline to be his sister because they have the most fun together.
We've been on a lot of road trips together. We’ve spent hours in cars together. She reminds me of my two younger sisters, and from day one when I first met her, I was like, “You’re my sis.” I can make fun of her, and she can make fun of me, and we do all the time. She’s just one of my favourite people.
Source: Getty Images
Is Brooke Starkey Drew Starkey's sister?
Brooke Starkey is Drew’s younger sister (born in February 1999). She is a New York-based photographer and content creator.
Drew is the eldest son of college women's-basketball coach Todd Starkey and school counsellor Jodi Ballard. He called them ‘simple folks of the earth’ in his November 2024 interview with Esquire. His parents separated when he was young, but he maintained a close relationship with both.
The actor’s sister, Mackayla Starkey Davila, works in construction and is married to Minor League Baseball athlete Garrett Davila. Drew has one brother, Logan Starkey (born in February 1995), who is a singer.
Source: Instagram
With Drew Starkey’s girlfriend out of the picture, he remains a beloved internet boyfriend. The actor continues to keep his love life under wraps, which has placed focus on his thriving career.
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