The scandal which saw Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King accused of sexual assault has taken a new turn.
In August 2023, Gary was accused by make-up artist Samantha Suarez of sexual misconduct.
Samantha alleged the incident occurred during the summer of 2022 before Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4 began filming.
As Monsters and Critics reported, Gary denied all allegations and claimed an investigation occurred, proving he did nothing wrong.
Now, hot on the heels of Gary appearing on Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5, Samantha has filed a lawsuit against him, Bravo, NBCUniversal, and others.
Samantha and her boyfriend, camera operator Grey Duddleston, filed the lawsuit with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 25.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King, Bravo, named in lawsuit
According to Us Weekly, which obtained court documents from the filing, as well as Gary King, Bravo, and NBCUniversal, the other entities listed in the lawsuit include 51 Minds, 51 Minds Entertainment, Mountain View Productions, Endemol Shine US Office, Endemol USA Holding, Inc., and DOES 1-50.
The outlet reports that Samantha and Grey have over 16 accounts of action named in the lawsuit and seek damages for all of them. Some of those accounts include sexual battery, assault, a hostile work environment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and more.
TMZ reports Samantha claims Gary admitted to the sexual assault, but wasn’t fired for his actions. Instead, she and Grey were allegedly investigated, eventually fired, and put on a “do not hire” list.
According to Variety, after Samantha reported the alleged incident to production company 51 Minds, she was required to sign a confidentiality and liability waiver.
As of this writing, Gary, Bravo, NBC Universal, and 51 Minds, the production company behind Below Deck Sailing Yacht, have not commented on the lawsuit.
What has Gary said about the sexual assault allegations?
After the allegations against Gary came out in 2023, he was immediately removed from BravoCon.
The premiere of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 was pushed back, and many attributed it to Gary’s scandal.
When Season 5 began airing last fall, Gary hit back at the trolls, calling out alleged lies being told about him. Gary has only spoken about the accusations against him via social media and continues to maintain his innocence.
The first officer did not do press for Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5, leading many fans to believe Bravo and 51 Minds have cut ties with Gary. Again, no formal announcement or statement has been released by any parties involved.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht is currently on hiatus on Bravo.