Cast Bombshell: The Season 3 Press Tour Got Heated When Noah LaLonde Admitted He and Ashby Gentry Avoided Each Other on Set During Jackie’s Final Decision Scenes
The buzz around Netflix’s My Life with the Walter Boys has always been electric, thanks to its intoxicating blend of teen drama, family secrets, and that ever-elusive love triangle. But as the cast kicked off the press tour for the highly anticipated Season 3, things took a turn from flirty speculation to full-on awkward revelations. In a moment that’s already sparking memes, fan theories, and endless Twitter threads, Noah LaLonde— the brooding heartthrob behind Cole Walter—dropped a bombshell: he and his on-screen rival, Ashby Gentry (Alex Walter), deliberately avoided each other during the filming of Jackie’s pivotal final decision scenes. The admission, made during a lively panel at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 10, 2025, turned the room from cheers to stunned silence, igniting debates about method acting, real-life tensions, and what it means for the show’s future.
For those late to the Walter Boys party, the series—adapted from Ali Novak’s beloved Wattpad novel—follows Jackie Howard (Nikki Rodriguez), a New York City girl uprooted to rural Colorado after a family tragedy. She lands in the chaotic Walter household, a sprawling ranch run by a widowed mother and her 10 rowdy boys. The real hook, though, is the simmering romance between Jackie and the Walter twins: the bad-boy artist Cole (LaLonde) and the sweet, bookish Alex (Gentry). Season 1 ended with Jackie choosing Alex, but Season 2 flipped the script with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger. In the finale, after months of stolen glances and heated arguments, Jackie confesses her love to Cole in a rain-soaked barn scene, only for Alex to overhear it all. The episode cuts to ambulances racing to the ranch as patriarch George Walter collapses, leaving fans screaming at their screens. Netflix renewed the show for Season 3 almost immediately after Season 2 dropped on August 28, 2025, with production wrapping principal photography just last month. Premiere is slated for mid-2026, but the early press tour—fueled by TIFF screenings and Netflix’s promotional blitz—promised juicy spoilers.
The panel in question was a star-studded affair at TIFF’s Scotiabank Theatre, moderated by entertainment journalist Kara Warner. Rodriguez, LaLonde, Gentry, and showrunner Melanie Halsall fielded questions about the love triangle’s evolution, the ranch’s vineyard subplot, and Jackie’s arc toward student body president. The mood was light at first, with the cast trading laughs about behind-the-scenes antics—like LaLonde’s infamous hockey pranks on set and Gentry’s rodeo training mishaps. But when Warner pivoted to the emotional weight of Jackie’s “final decision” scenes in Season 3—where the character finally picks a path amid the brothers’ rivalry—things got real.
“It was intense,” LaLonde began, his signature smirk fading into something more serious. “Filming those scenes… Jackie’s choice isn’t just words; it’s the culmination of two seasons of buildup. Ashby and I, we had to embody that rivalry so authentically that it bled into our off-camera dynamic. We actually avoided each other on set during those takes. No small talk, no hanging out between shots. It was method acting at its rawest—to keep the tension alive.”
The audience gasped. Gentry, seated next to him, shifted uncomfortably, his usual easygoing vibe cracking. “Yeah, it was… necessary,” he added after a beat, forcing a chuckle. “Noah’s right. Cole and Alex are at each other’s throats in those moments, and we didn’t want to break the immersion. But off-set? We’re good. Totally fine.” Rodriguez, ever the diplomat, jumped in: “It was tough watching them like that. As Jackie, I’m in the middle, literally and figuratively. But it made the scenes so powerful. Fans are going to feel every heartbeat.”
The revelation hit like a plot twist straight out of the show. Social media exploded within minutes—#WalterBoysTension trended worldwide on X (formerly Twitter), with fans dissecting old interviews for signs of strain. One viral clip from a 2024 BuzzFeed quiz showed the trio laughing hysterically during co-star trivia, leading skeptics to cry “PR stunt!” Others pointed to Gentry’s recent TikTok posts from the Calgary Stampede, where he and LaLonde appeared chummy with Rodriguez. Was this avoidance a clever acting choice, or did the brothers’ real-life bond fray under the pressure of portraying eternal rivals?
To understand the depth of this bombshell, it’s worth rewinding to the show’s roots. My Life with the Walter Boys premiered in December 2023, catapulting unknowns like LaLonde (a former hockey player from Michigan) and Gentry (a North Carolina native with theater roots) into overnight stardom. Rodriguez, of Mexican-American descent, brought nuance to Jackie’s grief-stricken journey, earning praise for avoiding stereotypes. The love triangle wasn’t just fan service; it mirrored real teen complexities, drawing comparisons to The Kissing Booth or To All the Boys. But Season 2 amped up the stakes: Cole’s redemption arc as a football coach, Alex’s bronc-riding triumphs, and Jackie’s budding friendship with Grace (Ellie O’Brien) all intertwined with the romance. The finale’s confession—Jackie whispering “I love you” to Cole as thunder cracks— was filmed over three grueling nights in rural Alberta, per Halsall’s earlier comments.
Halsall, in a post-panel scrum, defended the cast’s approach. “Noah and Ashby are professionals. That distance? It was collaborative, directed to heighten the authenticity. Season 3 picks up right after the ambulance siren, so expect fallout—heartbreak, forgiveness, maybe even a brotherly showdown. But the cast’s chemistry is what makes it magic.” She teased intergenerational plots too: Uncle Richard’s return, Tara’s (Samantha Cade) counseling role expanding, and hints at Will (Johnny Link) and Hayley’s marital strains.
Fans, however, aren’t buying the “all good” narrative so easily. On Reddit’s r/MyLifeWithWalterBoys, threads like “Noah and Ashby Feuding? Press Tour Tea” have racked up thousands of upvotes. One user wrote, “If they avoided each other, what does that say about Jackie’s choice? Team Cole forever, but this drama is next-level.” Others speculated on off-screen romances—rumors of LaLonde and Rodriguez dating have swirled since Season 1, fueled by their cozy Instagram stories. Gentry, single and low-key, has stayed mum beyond the panel.
The press tour itself has been a whirlwind. Earlier stops in Los Angeles and New York featured playful games, like the cast swapping roles (LaLonde as Alex? Hilarious chaos, per a Netflix YouTube clip). But TIFF marked a shift toward deeper dives, with outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Teen Vogue probing the emotional toll. In a Variety sidebar interview, LaLonde elaborated: “Playing Cole means tapping into vulnerability. Avoiding Ashby helped me stay in that headspace—jealousy, betrayal. It’s acting, but it’s exhausting. We’re brothers now, though. Set life bonds you.”
Gentry echoed this in a solo chat with Entertainment Tonight, admitting the avoidance “felt weird at first” but “elevated our performances.” He hinted at Season 3’s rodeo sequences, where Alex’s sponsorship leads to high-stakes drama, potentially pulling him away from the ranch—and Jackie.
As My Life with the Walter Boys gears up for its 2026 drop, this admission could redefine the press tour. Will it cool the cast’s united front, or fuel more intriguing content? One thing’s clear: the Walter brothers’ rivalry isn’t just on-screen anymore. With Jackie’s final decision scenes poised to shatter hearts, fans are left wondering if art imitates life—or vice versa. Stay tuned; this drama is far from over.
