Nathan Gallagher had one of his best friends die while he was filming Below Deck Med Season 9.
The heartbreak played out on the most recent episode of the hit yachting show.
Instead of sharing his news with his crew, Nathan suppressed his feelings until he found himself breaking down and lashing out after drinking alcohol.
Nathan certainly had a moment where he didn’t treat Gael Cameron very well, but once she learned what happened, Gael was all in to be there for him.
On the Below Deck Med Season 9 After Show, Nathan addressed his friend’s passing and the way he acted once he learned the sad news.
Gael also chimed in to share what she was feeling, especially as she tried to comfort Nathan during his hard time.
Below Deck Med star Nathan Gallagher opens up about losing his friend
“It was hard because I wasn’t there for my friends,” the deckhand shared.
Nathan explained this was the second person he was close to who passed away while he was working on a yacht. The first time was when his best friend’s mom, who was like a second mom to him, passed away, and he missed the funeral.
The deckhand ended up quitting that job because he was told he could leave for the funeral. However, he still missed the funeral because he had to wait to leave when the yacht was back on shore. Sadly, it was too late then.
“To see the same thing happen again, it kind of resurfaced all the emotions as well,” he explained.
Nathan admits that drinking didn’t help. He probably shouldn’t have gone out.
He would have gone home to be with his friends if he wasn’t in this environment.
“Hindsight, looking back, I feel like I made the right decision to say to complete the season. So looking back, it was tough, but it’s just another experience, another growth you can take away from it,” Nathan stated.
Aesha Scott and Gael Cameron weigh in on Nathan Gallagher’s behavior after suffering loss
Below Deck Med fans know Aesha Scott immediately jumped to defend Gael in the van when Nathan was being a jerk. Aesha shared on the After Show that she wanted to stand up for her friend because Gael didn’t deserve to be treated that way.
However, once they learned what Nathan was dealing with, Aesha just wanted to ensure those close to him, like Gael and Joe Bradley, gave Nathan the support he needed.
Gael felt the same way, which is why she let Nathan know it was okay to break down if he needed to. She comes from a family where men aren’t supposed to cry, so she wanted to make sure Nathan knew it was okay for him to cry.
“My heart really really broke for him and it was really hard to see,” Gael expressed.
In the end, Gael and Joe helped Nathan through this tough time. As Monsters and Critics previously reported, the end of Below Deck Med is near, so perhaps we will get a reunion show to discuss this more.
There are only a few episodes remaining in Below Deck Med Season 9, but we have an update on where Nathan and Gael stand today, and you can read all about it here.
Below Deck Med airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo. Seasons 1-9 are streaming on Peacock.