Summary
Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s future is uncertain after First OfficerGary King’s sexual misconduct allegations. Gary premiered in the franchise inBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 2under Captain Glenn Shephard. Gary came into the franchise with more than 10 years of experience in the yachting industry when he joined Parsifal III in 2021. Gary showcased his abilities as a leader and demonstrated his prowess on deck and familiarity with sailboats. He quickly made friends with Captain Glenn, and the two have become close friends over the years.
Outside of his abilities on deck, Gary proved to provide highly entertaining reality TV. The playboy did not shy away from developing boatmances, and his player attitude has drama for him every season. Gary hails from South Africa and is currently 35 years old. On the show, Gary most notably made waves for his friendship turned situationship withBelow Deck Sailing YachtChief Stew, Daisy Kelliher. The pair have had a contentious working relationship and an even more complicated friendship. However, there are bigger problems than his relationship with Daisy that are affecting the franchise as a whole.
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Gary’s Sexual Misconduct Allegations Explained
The Incident Happened In Summer 2022
Allegations fromBelow Deckmakeup artist Samantha Suarez against Gary came out in August 2023. She detailed an incident that took place during the filming ofBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 4, which filmed in the Summer of 2022. She alleged that while Gary had COVID-19 and was isolating in a hotel prior to the season’s filming,he trapped her in his hotel room and attempted to block her exit while grabbing her from behind.She got away from his attempts at physically retraining her and left the room. She then reported it to the network.
Gary and theBelow Deckfranchise have seemingly taken no responsibility for the incident. The network claims the allegations were investigated and that “action was taken based on the findings.“The only reprimand Gary has appeared to have was Bravo pulling him from BravoCon 2023.On Gary’s side of things, he doesn’t believe he is getting a fair shake and is denying that the incident happened. In a quickly-deleted Instagram comment from Gary, he showcased his lack of awareness and culpability.
“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 continued,“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.”
Since the allegations have surfaced, Gary has continued to post on social media, although he has steered clear of the misconduct topic after his off-handed Instagram comment.Gary’s already-negative reputation has gone further down the drainsince the claims surfaced and its fallout. Not only has Gary damaged his own standing among viewers and within the franchise, but his behavior has affected the future ofBelow Deck Sailing Yachtdue to the handling of the situation.
Gary Has Been A Below Deck Franchise Villain
The sexual misconduct allegation is another mark against Gary’s already terrible image.Gary has conducted himself in his boatmances with little to no regard for the other person’s feelings.Gary comes off as selfish, impulsive, and irresponsible. InBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 2, Gary originally hooked up with his deckhand, Sydney Zoruba, who quickly developed feelings for Gary. Gary threw her to the side and made the charter season more awkward and uncomfortable by getting into boatmance with stewardess Ali Dore.
Gary has a habit of going after multiple women each season and shooting his shot in rude and disrespectful ways.
Gary also stirred the pot inBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 4, when he divulged that he and Daisy had secretly hooked up. Daisy was in a relationship with Gary’s BFF, and Parsifal III’s engineer, Colin MacRae. Gary seems to always top his bad behavior with no regard for the consequences or people’s feelings.Gary is also a heavy drinker on the showduring crew nights out or in, which only contributes to his negative image.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht Is Returning
It’s Slated For Fall 2024
Bravo’sBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5 should have returned in the Spring of 2024. However,Below Deck Medseason 9 took its place, even thoughBelow Deck Medseason 8 had ended in January 2024.The skipping ofBDSYseason 5 was likely due to Gary’s sexual misconduct allegationsand the strategy of Bravo as to how they were going to handle it. The network could have tried to edit Gary out of the season, as they had done with publically marred crew member Peter “Pete” Hunziker inBelow Deck Medseason 5.
The other route Bravo might have taken, was to scrap already-filmed season 5 completely, in favor of filming an entirely new season without Gary. While that would be the more costly of the two options, it could get theBDSYfranchise back in fans' good standings. In any case,Gary has affected theBelow Deck Sailing Yachtschedule, and fans have been upset that he even returned to film season 5 given his bad history.
Will Gary Be A Part Of Season 5?
Are There Any Returning Cast?
Gary did filmBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5, and Daisy was also rumored to have returned for the season. Recently, Daisy shared a carousel of pictures hanging out with Gary, solidifying to fans that they are still in each other’s lives. Besides that, in a recent preview of what Bravo has in store for the Fall of 2024, a logo forBelow Deck Sailing Yachtwas present. That means thatBelow Deck Sailing Yachtwill remain a spinoff in the franchise, but it remains to be seen if Gary will continue to be a part of it.
Gary’s actions and behavior over the years has damaged fans perceptions ofBelow Deck Sailing Yacht.
If they ditch their connection with Gary, there is hope for a brighter future with more quality cast members. For now, Daisy is well-liked and the Chief Stew of the spinoff, but that could change as she’s aligned herself with Gary. It is likely there will be a lot of fresh faces inBelow Deck Sailing Yachtseason 5, and that can only help the show’s image.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Cast
Below Deck Sailing Yacht is a spin-off of the Below Deck reality television series. Premiering on Bravo, the show follows the life of a Yacht crew as they attempt to navigate a busy Charter season in which many customers make use of a 177-foot sailing yacht. Over the first three seasons, the yacht has been to Greece, Croatia, and Spain.
