Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary King Faces Uphill Battle to Salvage Television Career Amidst Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Gary King teases his comeback on 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' despite facing allegations of sexual misconduct Discover his determined pursuit to stay on TV in the midst of controversy Don't miss the latest updates on this scandalous reality show saga
Charles Sykes/Bravo
Gary King isn’t ruling out a Below Deck Sailing Yacht return despite making headlines for a sexual misconduct scandal.
The reality star responded to questions about his future on Bravo in the comments section of his latest Instagram post. When a viewer mentioned life after "Below Deck," he replied, "I hope so, will have to see but will definitely be trying to stay on peoples TV screens." He also mentioned in another comment that he is putting in the effort to prove his worth and hopefully make a comeback on TV.
King expressed hope that Bravo will invite him back as a member of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast in several other statements. His future on the show has been uncertain since a production assistant accused him of making unwanted advances during filming for season 4.
Samantha Suarez spoke out about her alleged interactions with King in a Rolling Stone exposé earlier this year. She, along with other former employees who chose to remain anonymous, accused Bravo of assisting in covering up King's inappropriate behavior.
"It was outrageous. There were numerous occurrences of sexual harassment in the presence of several producers after this individual had received verbal warnings on multiple occasions," one of the accusers claimed in October. "I was tasked with promoting and glorifying a guy who had just assaulted someone. It was my responsibility to make this person appear impressive, competent, and thrilling."
Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Suarez stated that she was tasked with taking care of King after he reportedly became intoxicated. After the filming ended, Suarez stayed with King in his hotel room, where he attempted to prevent her from leaving. King allegedly pressed himself against Suarez as she tried to leave, and only allowed her to leave after she fought back.
Suarez then reported the incident to the producers, leading to King being instructed to sleep on the boat on non-filming days in order to keep him away from the hotel.
Bravo has responded to the allegations in a statement to Rolling Stone, affirming their commitment to creating a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on their reality shows. They stated that they require their third-party production companies to have proper workplace policies and training in place, as well as a clear process for reporting concerns. The concerns raised by Ms. Suarez in July 2022 were investigated at that time and appropriate action was taken based on the findings.
Additionally, 51 Minds Entertainment, the production company for Below Deck, issued their own separate response to the allegations.
“51 Minds is dedicated to creating a safe and respectful environment for all cast and crew members on our productions. We make it mandatory for every series to undergo harassment and sensitivity training at the beginning of each new season, and we have a clear process in place for reporting any inappropriate behavior,” a spokesperson stated. “Any complaint is promptly investigated, and appropriate actions are taken to ensure the safety of our team, including termination if necessary. As for the incident involving Mr. King reported by Ms. Suarez, the case was promptly investigated and addressed by our production team based on the results of the investigation.”
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Despite the claim, King has consistently professed his innocence. "I know I'm in the right, and I know the truth, but it's still painful when people fabricate lies to try to bring you down," he responded to a fan on Instagram a month after the news broke.
After the event, King was notably absent from BravoCon in November, despite being previously announced as a guest. Nevertheless, he has quietly received backing from his fellow Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast members, including Captain Glenn Shephard and Ileisha Dell.
