UPDATE: Kyle Viljoen reactivated his Instagram account after 48 hours, saying he needed “a social break.” He added on his Instagram Stories: “Being ‘main character energy’ is exhausting!” Original report follows…
Limiting access. After the most recent episode of Below Deck Mediterranean aired, Kyle Viljoen deactivated his social media account. Fans of the show may or may not be surprised given the state of things on the show. But the outspoken South African native arguably could have let viewers have their say.
The interior crew on Season 8 has been an absolute toxic mess. And it’s been getting hard to pinpoint who the real problem is, though arguably one could choose between Kyle and Natalya Scudder. Chief stew Tumi Mhlongo took some heat at the beginning too, but she is finding her stride.
So what is Kyle’s motivation to deactivate his account except to avoid negative commentary? Do the optics from the episode paint the reality TV star in an unfavorable light?
Is Kyle Viljoen worried about Instagram backlash?
The dynamics within the interior team changed since the full cast finally assembled on board. Kyle and Tumi were delayed due to visa issues. As such, made friends at the embassy and Kyle seemingly bad-mouthed Natalya to Tumi.
The two ladies fought to establish dominance. After Captain Sandy Yawn intervened in an argument, Natalya and Tumi chose to make peace and keep it professional. So in the absence of an outlet for that drama, it seems another one formed.
Tumi vs Everyone
To her credit, Tumi observed that Kyle trash talking to Natalya, his supposed friend. She said in a confessional interview that she had to assume that Kyle was talking about her behind her back too. Suspicions were aroused.
But the missing link here is the fourth interior crew member who side-stepped a lot of the prior drama. Jessika Asai was team Natalya in the beginning and hung on her every word. In one instance, she thought Tumi was laughing at the idea of her being in service. Yet a professional conversation with her superior nipped that conflict in the bud.
A similar situation with Kyle had the two mend fences while Natalya was left as the sole stew harboring ill feelings. But not before he confronted her for speaking negatively about him. Kyle raised her voice and Jessika was left visibly emotional. Tumi made sure the stews were not in proximity for the rest of the charter. Notably, Kyle also suffered a suspected panic attack shortly thereafter.
So was it the fight that left Jessika in tears the reason that Kyle deactivated his Instagram? Or was it the ongoing conflict with Natalya? Or another reason entirely? Will he return to social media?
TELL US – WHY DO YOU THINK KYLE DEACTIVATED HIS SOCIAL MEDIA? DO YOU THINK HE WILL RETURN? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE INTERIOR DRAMA?
