‘Below Deck’s’ Captain Jason and Aesha Talk Facing Sexual Misconduct at BravoCon

Two solid individuals of Below Deck Down Below discuss the manner they responsibly handled that grisly incident with bosun Luke Jones throughout filming

Help in August, Below Deck Down Below became lauded for its handling of sexual misconduct on veil when Captain Jason Chambers fired Luke Jones, bosun of the deck crew, after he — whereas bare — attempted to get dangle of into bed with junior stewardess Margot Sisson with out her consent.

The crew returned after a night of drinking in Australia the assign the season became filming and Luke tried to climb into bed with Margot even though she became asleep. In a uncommon transfer on Below Deck and in actuality tv in general, a producer regarded in front of the camera and broke the “fourth wall” to uncover Luke to budge away. Luke then obtained aggressive and tried to slam and lock the door shut sooner than he became eliminated.

When chief stewardess Aesha Scott urged Captain Jason referring to the incident, he fired Luke. Stewardess Laura Bileskalne became also fired after she criticized the chance to get dangle of rid of Luke, blaming Margot and announcing, “He’s a sexual particular person, I’m a sexual particular person, you’re a sexual particular person. We were joking, that thing became maybe like, ‘Hahaha, we all inebriated.’”

Opening up referring to the danger at BravoCon, Captain Jason tells Rolling Stone that it felt validating to seem for the episode support attributable to it confirmed that he made “the staunch chance” in letting Luke budge.

“I acted on what Aesha urged me and then what Laura answered with, those are the handiest issues I’m able to the truth is react off, so going support and seeing the episodes from one more viewpoint correct showed that I made the staunch chance and I caught by Aesha’s emotions that night and moved within the staunch direction,” he says. “I’m aloof concerned with every person and trying to develop particular every person learned from that moment.” 

When the episode aired, followers and viewers reacted positively and expressed gratitude that a producer obtained concerned and Captain Jason and Aesha moved with out be conscious to preserve Luke guilty. Aesha, who has been begin on the show about her beget sexual assault, tells Rolling Stone “it became completely extra special” to survey the dialog that started attributable to the manner the incident became handled.

“The manner every person has answered supplies me so great hope referring to the manner that society’s shifting attributable to I have like if this took space 10 years within the past, folk might maybe maybe also no longer non-public cared as great,” Aesha says. “But now it’s like, no, we are the truth is going to issue something and we the truth is are going to name folk out. Even correct the manner that Jason answered as the as a lot as the moment-day captain is the manner we now must be going.”

When asked if he thinks their handling of the Luke danger might maybe maybe also encourage feature a brand contemporary same outdated for the manner sexual misconduct is addressed on actuality tv, Captain Jason says, “The criteria for that were already there they normally obtained broken. Clearly, folk staring at it now and assorted crew within the prolonged scurry will know that obtained’t be tolerated as neatly and the outcry became broad.”

Whereas Below Deck Down Below became applauded for this moment, manufacturing individuals of Below Deck Sailing Yacht urged Rolling Stone they experienced and witnessed sexual harassment and misconduct from solid member Gary King within the support of the scenes.

King, who sat out BravoCon within the wake of the yarn, declined to comment at the time nevertheless has since posted on his Instagram, announcing, “It’s sad that folk will invent anything else in their energy to bring you down. It’s no longer about how you drop nevertheless how you get up. Fortunately for me the drop became into a sea of daisies.”

A spokesperson for Bravo said in a assertion, “Bravo is committed to placing ahead a stable and respectful place of job for solid and crew on our actuality displays. We require our third-occasion manufacturing corporations to non-public appropriate place of job policies and trainings in space and a clear assignment on the final be conscious solution to state concerns. The worries Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated within the meanwhile and action became taken constant with the findings.”