Controversial ‘Below Deck Sailing Yacht’ Star Gary King Disputes Sexual Misconduct Scandal, Claims He Was Unfairly 'Canceled'
'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' star Gary King denies allegations of sexual misconduct and addresses his social media hiatus
Gary King and Captain Glenn Shephard Charles Sykes/Bravo; Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Gary King, star of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, remains steadfast in his belief of innocence amidst the show's sexual misconduct scandal. Captain Glenn appears to be in support of him as well. Sharing an Instagram photo on November 1, King wrote, "It's disheartening that individuals will go to great lengths to undermine you. But what matters is not the fall, rather, how you rise. Fortunately, my fall led me to a picturesque field of daisies."
The reality star responded to the accusations against him using several hashtags, including "#iwascancelledbecauseofalie #anythingforaplatform #dontbelieveeverythingyousee #bullshitmedia #ivegotmyheadheldhigh #flowers #wakeupandsmelltheroses #worldisanuglyplace #iwouldneverdothat #belowdeck #belowdecksailing #onwardsandupwards."
Glenn showed his support for King by leaving two emojis in the comments section. King responded with a message expressing love, and Glenn replied with "you too."
Ileisha Dell, a cast member from season 4 of the Below Deck spinoff, expressed her admiration for King's caption.
When a fan inquired about his presence at BravoCon, which starts on Friday, November 3, King responded with a disappointing answer, stating, "Unfortunately, I will not be attending."
King was initially included in the convention lineup when it was revealed that the event would take place in Las Vegas. However, a month later, Samantha Suarez, a former production assistant on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, came forward and accused King of making unwelcome advances during the filming of season 4. These allegations were detailed in a recent exposé published by Rolling Stone. Suarez and other former employees, who preferred to remain unidentified, claim that Bravo potentially aided in concealing King's misconduct.
"It was sheer madness. Numerous incidents of sexual harassment unfolded right in front of several producers, despite this individual receiving multiple verbal warnings," asserted one of the complainants. "I was tasked with promoting and glorifying this man who had just assaulted someone. My job was to portray him as impressive, competent, and thrilling."
Suarez vividly remembered being assigned the responsibility of overseeing King after he reportedly became intoxicated once filming concluded for the day. She vigilantly kept watch over him in his room, waiting for an opportunity to exit.
"I said, 'I must go - I need to fetch water and food for other people,' and he pleaded, 'No, no, please,'" she recollected. "Hence, I entered the room to place the case of water down, and once again, he insisted, 'Do not depart.' I replied, 'I have to go, I am not staying.'"
King purportedly forced himself against Suarez as she turned towards the exit, refusing to allow her to leave until she fought back. Suarez immediately brought the incident to the producers' attention, resulting in King being instructed to sleep on the boat during the "dark days" when filming was not taking place, in order to keep him away from the hotel.
Bravo responded to the accusations in a statement to Rolling Stone, emphasizing their dedication to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for their reality show cast and crew. They ensure that their third-party production companies have proper workplace policies, training, and a clear reporting process for concerns. The concerns raised by Ms. Suarez in July 2022 were thoroughly investigated at that time, and appropriate action was taken based on the findings.
In a separate statement, the production company for Below Deck, 51 Minds Entertainment, affirmed their commitment to creating a respectful and secure environment for everyone involved in their productions. They provide mandatory harassment and sensitivity training at the beginning of each new season and establish a clear process for reporting any questionable activity. They promptly launch investigations into any complaints received, and appropriate actions are implemented based on the results. In the case of Ms. Suarez's report involving Mr. King, the incident was promptly investigated and reviewed, and the production took appropriate action accordingly.
King refuted the allegations in a series of Instagram comments in September, which have since been deleted. One day after the report was published, he expressed his disbelief, stating, "It's strange and completely untrue. She always wanted attention and unfortunately, I became her target." He further asserted, "I'm not going to allow a deceitful girl to affect me... I have read that article thoroughly, multiple times, and it appears that this has happened to her during numerous seasons... it appears to be peculiar."
During his recent return to social media on Wednesday, King continued to assert his innocence. In response to a fan who advised him to remain positive amidst the controversy, King replied, "I am aware [that I have done nothing wrong], and I know the truth. However, it still hurts when people spread falsehoods with the intention of undermining you."
King’s costars are still expected to appear at BravoCon without him. Glenn, Daisy Kelliher, Colin Macrae and Alex Propson are scheduled for panels throughout the weekend.
