'Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary King Says He's Being Edited out of the Show Amid Serious Allegations

Bravo's Below Deck was so successful that it has spawned a bevy of spin-off shows, including Below Deck Sailing Yacht, which launched Season 5 on Oct. 7, 2024. The show has spawned some serious fan favorites but has also been known to uncover a scandal or two over the years.

Such is the case with Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King, who is facing some pretty serious allegations. And now, Gary has suggested that they are editing him out of the show unfairly for allegations he says are false.

Born in South Africa, Gary has been on Below Deck Sailing since Season 2, and serves as the first mate to Captain Glenn Shephard aboard the Parsifal III. Fans have watched intrigued as he seems to be caught in a love triangle with Daisy Kelliher and Colin MacRae. Yet it's not all fun and love with Gary, according to one crew member.

Samantha Suarez joined the Below Deck universe on Season 10 of the original show as a hair and makeup expert. She has alleged that Gary tried to force himself on her while they were filming Season 4 of Below Deck Sailing in Sardinia, in mid-2022. Between filming, Samantha assisted in bringing items to the stars' hotel rooms because they were supposed to stay isolated in their rooms between a combo of COVID protocol and wanting to keep the cast's interactions authentic on camera.

Samantha says Gary wasn't compliant with the rules, and frequently left his room. After filming one day, Samantha was walking an inebriated Gary back to his hotel room. There, he tried to convince her to stay despite knowing she was in a relationship. She promised to return later with snacks, and left. When she returned with snacks, Gary answered the door in his underwear. She dropped off the snacks and tried to leave, but Gary insisted she stay.

As she tried to leave, Samantha alleges that Gary grabbed her from behind pressed her body back against his. She finally elbowed her way free and went for the door. Gary then reached past her and slammed the door shut, according to Samantha. Just as she was freaking out, Samantha says that the talent manager called and she answered the call, prompting Gary to release the door and back off.

According to Rolling Stone, Samantha said of the incident, “I’m freaking out, and he goes, ‘What’s wrong? What’s going on?’ And I’m like, ‘Just leave me alone.’ He tried to come up behind me and put his arm around me. He’s in the hallway in his underwear and it’s all weird and f--ked up, and so I’m just like, ‘Just go back in your room and don’t come out.’” She immediately told producers, and they reached out to clarify what happened.

After producers met with Samantha, they removed him from the hotel where he was staying with other cast members and required him to sleep on the boat.

From production's standpoint, that might have been the end of their involvement. However, Gary has suggested that they are editing him out of the show now as Season 5 airs.

On Oct. 14, Gary took to Instagram to share a picture from filming. He wrote, "Sad to see this has all been edited out of tonight’s episode. Scary how one person's lies can ruin someone’s career and livelihood." He added, "Oh well my head is held I’m high as I know the truth. Karma will get ya, anyways. Seeing as most of me will probably be edited out of this season. I will try post as much as possible to show you all what you’re missing out on."

Since Samantha spoke up, other members of the crew have come forward with allegations of improper behavior by Gary, although they have chosen to remain anonymous at least for now. They feel as though Bravo is helping to cover up his actions, rather than handling it as decisively as they did when other Below Deck cast members acted inappropriately.

Bravo has said in a statement that they feel they took adequate action, writing, "Bravo is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows. 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.” Gary maintains his innocence.