10 Most Problematic Below Deck Cast Members In Franchise History (How Their Legacy Has Affected The Network's Perception)

Dec. 15, 2024, 5 p.m.

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10 Most Problematic Below Deck Cast Members In Franchise History (How Their Legacy Has Affected The Network's Perception)

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Below Deck has had many different kinds of cast members on the show, but some of the most problematic folks have shaped the show. Despite rumors of cancellation or a postponed season, Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 is currently unfolding, featuring bad boy Gary King and potential producer plant Daisy Kelliher. However, Gary is far from the only troublemaker to star in the Below Deck franchise.

Some problematic figures on Below Deck are a little less offensive, merely causing annoying issues onboard or speaking out online. However, there have been cast members accused of sexual misconduct or worse, leading to a bad reputation for Below Deck. Here are ten Below Deck crew members who shaped the show over the years.

1 Gary King

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

It's no surprise Gary cracks the top ten of most problematic cast members. Gary was accused of sexual misconduct by former Bravo employee Samantha Suarez after he tried to get her into his room. She escaped and Gary denied all allegations, but the cloud of the accusations hangs heavy over Gary's legacy. In fact, Gary claimed that Bravo edited out his storyline in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5.

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Gary was problematic before the sexual misconduct allegations came out, however. He was jealous of Daisy and Chief Engineer Colin Macrae's boatmance, inserting himself in the middle of their relationship. He also regularly pursued and slept with women on charters, often in concurrence with his drunken outings. Gary could learn and grow, but he's shown very little regard for women's safety and feelings during his years on the show.

2 Luke Jones

Below Deck Down Under

Luke Jones deserves a spot on the list of most problematic Below Deck franchise cast members because of his attempted sexual assault of Margot Sisson. After a crew night out, a drunken Margot headed to bed with no intention of hooking up with any fellow cast members. Then, Luke entered Margot's cabin without her consent, completely naked. While producers rarely intervene on Below Deck, production had to step in to stop Luke from assaulting Margot.

Luke's behavior in Below Deck Down Under was one of the most harrowing scenes ever in the franchise.

Luke was promptly fired by Captain Jason Chambers following his scary and disgusting behavior. A way in which this incident changed Below Deck was the production intervention. Normally, the film crew stays out of the way to maintain a semblance of reality and genuine reactions. However, Margot was in too much danger, and they couldn't allow her to get sexually assaulted in front of their eyes. Arguably, production should have stepped in much sooner.

3 Ashton Pienaar

Below Deck

Ashton Pienaar famously almost died during an incident on the boat, and while it was terrifying for everyone onboard, his behavior towards Kate Chastain during a crew night out was almost as scary. Ashton, who had been drinking heavily, became increasingly aggressive and confrontational towards Kate. In a van ride back to the boat, he lashed out verbally and physically, punching the van's interior. He leaned in towards Kate in a threatening way, and she was so disturbed by the altercation she had to briefly leave the boat.

The production team also intervened in this situation, protecting Kate from a drunken Ashton. However, again, they really should have stepped in earlier. Kate's safety was undoubtedly in question, and she was terrified that Ashton could have physically hurt her, especially since he was punching the van. Luckily, Ashton was promptly fired.

4 Kate Chastain

Below Deck

It could be a controversial choice to include Kate on this list, but the fan-favorite Chief Stew could often behave in a problematic manner during her seasons on Below Deck. She had explosive feuds with Chef Leon Walker on Below Deck season 3 and Raquel "Rocky" Dakota, a bizarre stew who dove in the water when she was upset. Kate's directness could border on rudeness or even talking down to her stews. While she was often funny, Kate could also be condescending.

One of Kate’s most infamous moments involved folding a guest's blanket into the shape of a penis as a joke. While the incident was meant to be funny, it was wildly inappropriate and could have led to serious repercussions for the crew. Captain Lee Rosbach reprimanded her, but they got over the situation, as they're still close today.

5 Chef Adam Glick

Below Deck Sailing Yacht + Below Deck Mediterranean

Chef Adam Glick was confrontational with just about everybody during his time in the franchise, but his behavior towards Malia White and Jenna MacGillivray was disturbing. Adam and Malia had a pre-existing romantic relationship before joining Below Deck Mediterranean season 2. When Malia became involved with Bosun Wesley Walton during the season, Adam displayed jealous and possessive behavior, which was disturbing. Adam also had no problem questioning Captain Sandy Yawn, making him insubordinate.

He only got worse on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, where he was controlling and dismissive towards Chief Stew Jenna. They had a romantic connection, but it was filled with ups and downs, with Adam's behavior bordering on bullying. He also deliberately ignored guests' preferences, a big no-no as the chef aboard a yacht. Chef Adam did whatever he wanted and didn't care about anyone else's feelings.

6 Ashley Marti

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Gary might be a problematic figure in the franchise, but Ashley Marti wasn't angelic in her interactions with Gary. The former Stew was relentless in her pursuit of Gary, leading to an incident that many call sexual assault. After a drunken night out, Ashley took advantage of Gary's state, and while the two hooked up, this likely wouldn't have happened without Gary's high level of intoxication. The incident was barely touched on as the season continued.

It can be easy to overlook sexual assault when the perpetrator is female, but what Ashley did to Gary wasn't okay.

Ashley was also disrespectful and insubordinate towards Daisy and Gabriela Barragan, the Second Stew on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 3. Her behavior towards Gabriela likely contributed to her decision to leave the sailing yacht halfway through the season. She was also consistently unprofessional onboard. Ashley was problematic all around, from her personal pursuit of Gary, and her inability to do her job.

7 Lexi Wilson

Below Deck Mediterranean

Lexi Wilson said some pretty troubling things in Below Deck Mediterranean season 6. Notably, during a crew night out, Lexi escalated into a verbal argument with Chef Mathew Shea. She insulted him, calling him "shy and weak" and threatening him by saying his mother should have aborted him. Her language in this altercation and others was super inappropriate and insulting. However, Chef Matthew wasn't the only victim of her ire.

During a drunken night in the hot tub, Lexi pushed deckhand Lloyd Spencer aggressively after he tried to de-escalate an argument. She also openly insulted Chief Stew Katie Flood, calling her weak and incapable of leadership. Lexi often avoided her assigned tasks, including setting up tables or cleaning cabins, leaving her team to pick up the slack. She claimed she wasn’t "born to serve" and refused to follow through on requests from Katie or Captain Sandy. Lexi had a problem with everybody.

8 Lara Flumiani

Below Deck Mediterranean

Lara Flumiani from Below Deck Mediterranean season 5 was undoubtedly problematic, but she's also one of the more forgettable cast members. The lazy stew constantly clashed with Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier, who only wanted to help Lara improve. In one incident, Hannah attempted to give Lara feedback about her work, but Lara accused her of being rude and refused to engage in a constructive conversation.

However, Lara's combative attitude wasn't limited to Hannah. She often failed to complete basic stewardess responsibilities, like setting up cabins or following through on service standards for the guests, which upset her fellow interior crew members. Finally, Lara abruptly quit, telling Captain Sandy she wasn't happy. It was super unprofessional and brought into question how much influence contracts should have during the filming period. However, it was probably better that Lara left.

9 Kyle Viljoen

Below Deck Mediterranean

Kyle Viljoen definitely had a dynamic personality on Below Deck Mediterranean, but he was also a consummate troublemaker who reveled in causing problems for his fellow cast members. During season 7, Kyle became overly familiar with a group of charter guests, crossing professional boundaries. He flirted openly with one of the guests, Frank, and even planned a date with him after the charter. This was a breach of rules set by Captain Sandy.

Kyle’s ongoing feud with fellow stew Natalya Scudder also became a focal point. Their arguments often turned personal and intense, creating tension within the interior team. Kyle accused Natalya of micromanaging and interfering with his work, while Natalya criticized Kyle for being slow and uncooperative. Kyle's dramatic tendencies forced Captain Sandy to get involved, and his desire to stir the pot overshadowed his work ethic on the show.

10 Laura Bileskalne

Below Deck Down Under

Laura was another problematic cast member from Below Deck Down Under. Her behavior towards Deckhand Adam Kodra was inappropriate. Despite her repeated advances, Adam wasn't interested in Laura. However, she tried to climb into Adam's bunk uninvited, which was a breach of trust and privacy. Similarly to Ashley's pursuit of Gary, Laura's interest in Adam bordered on assault and breach of safety.

There's no excuse for sexual assault, and Laura's defense of Luke was troubling.

Given her actions towards Adam, it's not surprising that she wrongly defended Luke after his firing. Laura defended Luke after his inappropriate actions towards Margot, where he climbed into Margot's bed naked while she was unconscious. Laura not only excused Luke’s behavior but also showed a lack of empathy for Margot. She downplayed the seriousness of the incident, which was disturbing and inappropriate. She fits the bill for a problematic Below Deck cast member.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the next day on Peacock.