On Below Deck Down Under there was a situation shown on the show that involved two cast members getting fired because of misconduct. While that decision has been applauded, now, it’s being reported that a crew member from Below Deck Sailing Yacht was sexually harassed, and there wasn’t much accountability taken.
For context, on Below Deck Down Under a producer intervened when Luke Jones attempted to get into Margot Sisson’s bed naked and without her consent. She was drunk and passed out at the time. A producer intervened. This moment was shown on the reality series during an episode on the 2023 TV schedule, and Jones was later fired along with Laura Bileskalne, who was let go for “victim-blaming comments she made to Margot about the incident” and crossing a line by attempting to pursue Adam Kodra according to Rolling Stone.
The public has applauded the choice to fire the two, and Captin Lee didn’t hold back about the two being let go, saying “their behavior was despicable.”
Now, Samantha Suarez, who worked in the makeup department of Below Deck since Season 10, has come forward saying that during Season 4 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which was filming during the summer of 2022, cast member Gary King reportedly tried to “force himself on her.”
Below Deck Star Gary King Has Been Accused Of Sexual Assault
Along with doing makeup, Samantha Suarez also assisted their talent manager, and her duties included making sure the cast stayed in their hotel rooms and didn’t run into each other because of COVID-19 protocols. She would bring them food and water. Some of the cast, including King, apparently refused to follow these rules, and Suarez had to walk him back to his hotel room one night. He was drunk, and according to her, when they got back to his hotel room he asked her not to leave.
Samantha Suarez then explained that she needed to leave to help other castmates, however, King suggested that she stay and get in bed with him. She explained that she’d return later to give him water and snacks, and when she did he came to the door in his underwear. Suarez said she asked him to take the water, but he kept asking her to stay in his room. Then, as she tried to leave, she said he came up behind her, pressed his body against her, and wouldn’t let go. She said she tried to kick and elbow him. She told the magazine:
I’m freaking out, and he goes, ‘What’s wrong? What’s going on?’ And I’m like, ‘Just leave me alone.’ He tried to come up behind me and put his arm around me. He’s in the hallway in his underwear and it’s all weird and fucked up, and so I’m just like, ‘Just go back in your room and don’t come out.’
After this, Suarez said she immediately told the producers about what happened. They had a meeting, and she said she didn’t feel comfortable around King, didn’t want to work with him, and did not want to be alone or in the same room with him. According to her, she was told Gary King would be fired if anything else happened. The next day, he was moved from the hotel, however, he did not leave the show.
Bravo gave a statement to the magazine about how the situation was handled, noting:
Bravo is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows. We require our third-party production companies to have appropriate workplace policies and trainings in place and a clear process on how to report concerns. The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings.
The production company 51 Minds Entertainment also said they provide mandatory harassment and sensitivity training at the start of every season, and that they investigated Suarez's claim about King. Their statement said they "acted accordingly based on the results."
Suarez explained that she wished there was more action taken regarding this situation after she reported to HR that she had felt like she'd experienced "physical assault/sexual harassment." Rolling Stone also spoke to two crew members who worked with the makeup artist, and they alleged that they witnessed King “constantly” making other women uncomfortable on set. One crew member who remained anonymous said there was an instance where they reported a situation where King was inappropriately interacting with women on their walkie-talkie, however, no one acknowledged it.
Following Suarez reporting this interaction with King, she was not asked to return to Below Deck, while the cast member did. She said she thinks she lost the opportunity to keep working on the show because she reported his misconduct.
Below Deck has always had controversy surrounding it. One star shared a video of his own arrest a few years ago, and during Season 3 of Sailing Yacht a guest called the cast out during the drama surrounding scripted accusations. The most recent controversy is surrounding Luke Jones, Laura Bileskalne and their misconduct, however, Suarez’s comments allege that this kind of behavior has happened before.
