Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Gary King returns following sexual misconduct allegations

Below deck sailing yacht is back with a brand new season and Captain Glenn Shephard returns to the helm of Parsifal III. The trailer for season five shows chief stewardess Daisy Kelliher, who was there Below deck Spinoff back in action since season 2. Another familiar face set to return is First Officer Gary King, which some viewers may find shocking.

Fans will remember that very serious allegations were made against Gary after the fourth season, in which the crew sailed around Italy. A makeup artist for the show came forward and claimed that Gary sexually assaulted her during production of the season. Were the allegations swept under the rug when Gary returns in Season 5?

Gary King’s sexual assault allegations are explained

In August 2023, after season 4 of Below deck sailing yacht Finally, Samantha Suarez, who worked in the makeup department, gave an interview Rolling Stone claimed Gary King forced himself on her. Samantha claimed that during production, Gary allegedly tried to stop her from leaving his hotel room after she delivered him water and snacks as he was extremely drunk. details of the encounter, Rolling Stone divided:

Samantha managed to open the door and leave, and she alerted production about the incident, who informed her that Gary “would be fired from the show if any further incidents occurred.” Samantha expressed how disappointed she was with the executive producers who did nothing further. She also accused the show of covering up Gary’s alarming actions. Interestingly, the outlet also spoke to other crew members (some of whom remained anonymous) who felt that Gary made the women on set very uncomfortable.

Gary was never held accountable for his actions, but this Rolling Stone The article says that Below deck The production company has “initiated an investigation.” Fans on Reddit expressed outrage that Gary’s actions appeared to be swept under the rug. In fact, one user pointed this out Rolling Stone Article about how terribly HR handled Samantha’s allegations.

“While this is all abhorrent, what strikes me most is that the victim was told to stop talking about her experiences as it turned into “water cooler talk” as downplaying gossip while denying a victim a support system … This is just so, so, so bad.”

In fact, several users on the Reddit thread agreed that Gary should have been fired from the show and held accountable for his actions.

What did Gary King say about the allegations against him?

Gary King subsequently denied all allegations made against him Rolling Stone published his article. Gary defended himself on his Instagram account when a follower asked him why he hadn’t commented on the article yet. Accordingly Page sixwhich posted a screenshot of the comments section of Gary’s Instagram, one user asked: “@rollingstone has your number. Why no comment? Get sober, gain clarity, and stop your sexual misconduct. Your mother will be proud.” In response, Gary said:

The user also asked Gary if Samantha lied about the allegations. Gary replied, “Yes, she is. But I won’t address it through comments. Thanks.”

In November 2023, Gary appeared to defend himself again. He shared an Instagram post that showed him lying in a field full of daisies. He wrote: “It’s sad that people will do everything in their power to bring you down. It’s not about how you fall, but how you get back up. Luckily I fell into a sea of ​​daisies.”

Due to the allegations, Gary was not allowed to attend BravoCon 2023. And it seemed so Below deck sailing yacht It might have taken a longer pause than usual to delve deeper into the alarming allegations. However, when season five finally aired in the fall, with Gary returning as first officer, fans wondered whether the sexual misconduct allegations had been dropped or whether Bravo would cut Gary from season five.

Season 5 shows Gary back as first officer despite the allegations

After a slightly longer break, Below deck sailing yacht returns with season 5. The season trailer shows the crew and Captain Glenn aboard the Parsifal III in Ibiza, which is known for its party atmosphere. The trailer shows a very single Daisy returning to the role of chef in the messy love triangle between Gary and chief engineer Colin MacRae after being eliminated from Season 4. However, fans may have been shocked to see the return of Gary King, especially after the bombshell allegations against him.

The trailer clearly shows Gary working aboard the Parsifal III and partying with his boat crew on their days off. In the clip, Gary is also heard saying, “If the guests aren’t having a good time, then we’re clearly doing something very wrong,” which is a completely strange comment given the allegations against Gary.

And although the trailer suggests Gary is back in action, some viewers have wondered if Bravo would cut him from the season like they previously did with other cast members. (Bravo edited out Peter Hunziker Below deck Mediterranean after he was fired for racist posts online).

However, a look at Gary’s Instagram ahead of the new season shows that he has been regularly posting stories encouraging his followers to tune in, which could mean that he is unlikely to be cut and will appear in season 5.

Season 5 of Below deck sailing yacht Premieres Monday, October 7 at 9pm ET on Bravo. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.

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