Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King has made waves for his behavior on and off screen.
Gary was introduced to Bravo viewers when he joined the hit spinoff series in 2021. After leaving a lasting impression with his messy personal life, Gary was brought back for multiple seasons as he continued to make headlines.
The first officer found himself in hot water when he was accused in 2023 of alleged inappropriate behavior. Below Deck production member Samantha Suarez claimed Gary made unwanted advances while filming season 4, which Bravo allegedly helped cover up.
Samantha reported an incident in summer 2022 after Gary allegedly tried to force her to stay in his hotel room. She said she was surprised when Gary wasn’t fired by the network while speaking to Rolling Stone for a 2023 exposé that featured claims from former employees who asked to remain anonymous.
The drama has already reached unexpected heights on Below Deck Sailing Yacht. During season 2 of the hit show, the crew was rocked with a shocking twist when Dani Soares claimed that Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux was the father of her baby. Jean-Luc, who wasn’t able to attend the reunion with the rest of his cast members, […]
“It was insane. There were multiple incidents of sexual harassment in front of multiple producers after this person had been given verbal warnings multiple times,” one of the accusers alleged at the time. “I had to promote and make this guy who just assaulted someone look awesome. That was my job, to make this person look cool, capable and exciting.”
Bravo and Below Deck’s production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, both issued statements addressing the investigations that took place after Samantha’s complaint.
“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 statement from the network read.
Gary denied the claims, writing via Instagram in since-deleted comments, “It’s so weird, it’s also so far from the truth. She always wanted a platform and unfortunately I’m the unlucky target.”
Gary claimed Samantha was not being honest about their interactions behind the scenes, adding, “I’m not going to let some lying girl get to me… read that article fully, multiple times, and this happened to her on multiple seasons … seems odd.”
He continued: “Please tell me who I’ve harassed from bd … if I did I’m sure they would have said something and not some random person. Please can you tell me where I have sexually harassed multiple women … you’re watching the wrong show pal.”
The reality star returned to film one more season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht before he — and the network — were sued for the alleged incident. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Gary’s most controversial moments:
The Original Love Triangle
Alli Dore, Gary King and Sydney Zaruba. Bravo (3)
After joining season 2, Gary was called out by Alli Dore and Sydney Zaruba for not admitting that he had a girlfriend while trying to hook up with both of them at various times throughout filming. Gary, however, clarified that he was in “a very complicated relationship” at the time.
“I hadn’t seen her for eight months prior to me coming on the show. Not seeing someone for eight months and growing apart in those months … do we put a label on that? No,” he explained during the reunion special, which aired in June 2021.
Offering a glimpse into their lives. Over the years, Bravo viewers have seen Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast members come and go — but not before they brought drama to the high seas. The spinoff series, which premiered in 2020, shocked viewers when Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux‘s onscreen fling took a turn once they […]
The Concerning Hookup
Gary King, Ashley Marti. Bravo (2)
Season 3 was even more challenging when Gary’s flirty relationship with Ashley Marti took a turn. Viewers grew concerned when the stew briefly had sex with Gary while he was too drunk after a crew night out.
Gary thanked fans who were “looking out” for him, saying on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in June 2022, “I didn’t think much of it then, and right now, I don’t think much of it too. I just think that people on social media blew it up bigger than what it actually was.”
Gary said he didn’t consider the experience an “assault” because he showed interest in Ashley in the past. “Yeah I could see how they saw that, but in the first place, I did hook up with Ashley prior to that happening. I just wish I wasn’t that drunk,” he added. “I think it boils down to hooking up with Ashley was a mistake in the first place and it shouldn’t have happened from the get-go, really.”
He concluded: “No, I don’t [feel assaulted]. I don’t, and I appreciate everyone standing up for me, but I’ve got a voice of my own and I could use it if I felt I was assaulted.”
At Odds With Colin and Daisy After More Personal Drama
Gary King, Colin Macrae and Daisy Kelliher. Courtesy of Gary King/Instagram; Bravo (2)
Gary’s connection with Daisy Kelliher was called into question over the years as viewers wondered whether they would ever officially give their relationship a try. The situation got messier when Colin MacRae showed interest in Daisy when they were filming season 4.
As Daisy and Colin grew closer, Gary chose to reveal on screen that he and Daisy secretly hooked up in the past. Daisy and Colin’s romance ultimately fizzled out by the time they filmed the reunion, where Gary and Colin said they weren’t ruling out a reconciliation with each other but hinted that their respective relationships with Daisy were up in the air.
Gary later released a statement reflecting on his tumultuous onscreen journey with Daisy and Colin.
“Contrary to what many of you may believe, I am still friends with Colin and Daisy. Last season of #belowdecksailing was not my best, having watched some episodes I know that I have a lot of work and growing to do and will do everything to be a better person,” he wrote via Instagram in July 2023. “To all those people that constantly comment negatively and try bring me down, sticks and stones! You will not bring me down. For all the people who support me and message nice things, thank you ❤️ appreciate it all 🙂 #notmybest #stillfriends #itsarealityshow #lovetothefans #hatetothehaters #belowdeck #bravotv #itsatvshow.”
Below Deck has followed various relationships and flings throughout the franchise — but some stars found love with one another outside their seasons. Malia White‘s introduction to Below Deck Mediterranean in season 2 came with a love triangle between Adam Glick and Wesley Walton. Although Malia and Wes gave their romance another try offscreen — […]
Accused of Sexual Misconduct
Three months after the season 4 reunion aired, a production assistant from the show accused Gary of making unwanted advances in a Rolling Stone exposé. According to Samantha, she was asked to look after Gary after he allegedly got drunk. Once filming wrapped, she remained with Gary in his hotel room before he tried to stop her from leaving him. Gary allegedly pressed himself against Samantha as she turned toward the door and refused to let her leave until she started to fight back.
Samantha went on to claim that she alerted producers about the incident, which resulted in Gary getting told to sleep on the boat on days when the crew wasn’t filming as a way to keep him out of the hotel.
Gary maintained his innocence after news broke about the claim. “I know [that I did nothing wrong], and I know the truth but it still hurts when people will tell lies to bring you down,” he replied to a fan via Instagram one month later.
The Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Fallout
In the aftermath of the scandal, Gary didn’t appear at BravoCon in November 2023 despite initially being announced as a guest. The fifth season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht aired later than usual but still featured Gary, who filmed the show after the allegations were already made off screen. Gary didn’t address the drama during the season and was included in all of the promotional material for the show.
The first officer did raise some issues after claiming he wasn’t featured as much as he expected.
“Sad to see this has all been edited out of tonight’s episode. Scary how one person’s lies can ruin someone’s career and livelihood,” he wrote via Instagram in October 2023. “Oh well my head is held I’m high as I know the truth. Karma will get ya, anyways.”
Gary speculated that his scenes will continue to be removed, adding, “Seeing as most of me will probably be edited out of this season 😢 I will try post as much as possible to show you all what you’re missing out on 🤗.”
Sued for Sexual Misconduct
Samantha and camera operator Grey Duddleston filed a lawsuit in February 2025 with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles for allegedly covering up Gary’s sexual misconduct. Their complaint listed 16 causes of action for which they were seeking damages, including sexual battery, assault, hostile work environment harassment and negligent hiring/retention/supervision.
Bravo and Gary did not release a new statement about the lawsuit.
