Bravo and the production company behind Below Deck Sailing Yacht have reacted after Gary King was accused of sexual misconduct by a member of the show’s production team.
The allegations come hot on the heels of the Below Deck Down Under sexual misconduct scandal.
In that case, Captain Jason Chambers, producers, and Aesha Scott were praised for how they handled the situation.
As Monsters and Critics previously reported, the new Below Deck Sailing Yacht allegations were made by production crew member Samantha Suarez.
Suarez accused Gary of sexual misconduct and also claimed the show engaged in a cover-up.
Bravo and 51 Minds Entertainment, the production company behind Below Deck, have reacted to the allegations.
Bravo reacts to Below Deck Sailing Yacht Gary King sexual misconduct allegations
Although Gary declined to respond to the claims made against him, as reported by Rolling Stone, Bravo said Samantha’s concerns were addressed, an investigation occurred, and action was taken.
“Bravo is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows,” the network said in a statement.
“We require our third-party production companies to have appropriate workplace policies and trainings in place and a clear process on how to report concerns. The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings.”
Details about the findings or what specific action was taken were not revealed by Bravo.
However, Samantha claims that after she made her allegations, Gary was removed from the hotel where other cast and production crew members were staying and that he was told to sleep on the boat even when others were staying on land.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht production company 51 Minds responds to Gary King accusations
51 Minds also responded to the story with a statement to Rolling Stone.
A spokesperson said, “51 Minds is committed to providing an environment in which every member of the casts and crews on our productions feel respected and, most importantly, safe.”
“51 Minds provides mandatory harassment and sensitivity training for every series it produces at the outset of each new season and lays out a clear process on how and to whom to report any questionable activity.”
“With any complaint filed, a timely investigation is launched and, based on the findings, appropriate actions are implemented to ensure the safety of our cast and crew, up to and including termination.”
“With regard to the incident reported by Ms. Suarez involving Mr. King, the case was investigated and reviewed as soon as it was submitted, and production acted accordingly based on the results.”
Like with Bravo, no specific details regarding how the allegations against Gary were handled were revealed.
Along with Below Deck Sailing Yacht, 51 Minds is also the production company behind Below Deck, Below Deck Med, Below Deck Down Under, and other shows.
As of this writing, Gary King has not responded to the allegations made by Samantha Suarez.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht is currently on hiatus on Bravo. Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming on Peacock.