It’s been quite a week for Outer Banks star Austin North.
TMZ broke the news of the 27-year-old’s arrest for gross misdemeanor battery after being accused of attacking employees at a Las Vegas hospital.
According to the outlet, officers arrived at the hospital after the actor allegedly punched a nurse in the head, shoved the face of another nurse, and pushed a third hospital worker into a table.
The Netflix star reportedly had to be restrained by security guards.
North, who plays Topper in the treasure-hunting teen drama, addressed the incident on Instagram in the aftermath.
He shed light on why he was in the hospital in the first place, claiming that his friend drove him to the hospital in question because “I thought I was having a heart attack.”
Austin North claims there were no drugs or alcohol in his system
While at the hospital, “several tests were taken, including blood,” with North saying that they came back “negative for any drugs or alcohol in my system.”
In the aftermath, he says he realized he was having a “severe anxiety attack.”
The Jessie alum said he has “very little” memory of the day at the hospital and noted that he has the “utmost respect for healthcare workers and hospital staff.”
He then opened up about how he’s been battling anxiety for years and said that the hospital incident was “the most extreme” panic attack he’s ever had.
Austin North wants to raise awareness of anxiety
North added that his aim going forward is to help raise awareness of this “debilitating disorder” and to “send hope” to those who have also struggled.
The actor is best known for his work on Outer Banks, where he plays Sarah’s (Madelyn Cline) one-time love interest.
While immersed in the drama of the first couple of seasons, his presence has gradually diminished, leading to speculation about whether he’ll even be on the cast of Outer Banks Season 4.
Will Austin North be back for Outer Banks Season 4?
Netflix has not confirmed casting details yet, but beyond Chase Stokes, Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, and Rudy Pankow, there’s no telling who will be back.
The series has been an enormous success for the streaming platform worldwide, with Poguelandia — a fan event for the show — getting thousands of visitors in 2023.
Big announcements about the show were held for the event, including the Outer Banks Season 4 renewal.
When will Outer Banks Season 4 premiere?
The streaming service has also not confirmed a premiere date for the next chapter.
Given that it’s been in production for months, there’s a chance it could be on the air before the end of the year, but due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, there may be too many shows in the Netflix inventory to get all of them on the air this year.
Promotion matters for these shows because, without promotion, they’ll be lost in the Netflix shuffle like many other shows that didn’t stand a chance because it seemed like they were shadow-dropped on the app without a second thought.
Outer Banks is currently on hiatus at Netflix. The series is expected to return in late 2024 or early 2025