There’s a major update in the legal battle between Bravo, a former Below Deck camera operator, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast member Gary King.
Reality Tea reported on the case back in 2023, when a makeup artist named Samantha Suarez, along with camera operator Grey Duddleston, accused Gary of various instances of sexual misconduct while filming Below Deck Sailing Yacht in 2022.
Gary denied any wrongdoing, while Samantha and Grey claimed they were fired after reporting him. Bravo’s lawyers tried to force Grey into arbitration. However, a judge just ruled that things can move forward in court.
Gary King is accused of sexual misconduct
According to court documents reviewed by Deadline, NBCUniversal Media LLC, Bravo Media LLC, and Mountain View Productions LLC filed a motion to try to keep Grey bound to a mandatory arbitration agreement he signed at the time of his employment.
A Los Angeles judge just ruled against this. They cited the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021. If someone is potentially a victim of sexual assault or harassment, this law allows them to circumvent arbitration agreements and pursue their claims in court.
The claims in the lawsuit revolve around several incidents that occurred when filming BDSY Season 4 in Sardinia. Allegedly, Gary tried to hold Samantha hostage in a hotel room, and she feared he would sexually assault her.
Grey, who was Samantha’s boyfriend at the time, later claimed to have witnessed further misconduct from Gary. He said he watched Gary undo the bikini tops of two Below Deck cast members without their consent. He also claimed to have seen Gary grab two camera operators’ genitals and make inappropriate comments to a female audio technician.
In the lawsuit, Grey and Samantha accused Gary of being a “known drunkard and serial harasser.” Their lawsuit accuses him of sexual battery. They’re blaming the show’s production team for creating a hostile work environment, retaliation, and failure to prevent discrimination.
There’s another hearing scheduled for April 28, where defense attorneys will try to get Samantha’s claims tossed out of court. They intend to argue that Samantha, a Georgia resident, can’t sue in a California court over something that happened in Sardinia. Stay tuned as this continues to drag out in court.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht is streaming on Peacock.
TELL US – WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THIS CASE MOVING FORWARD? DO YOU THINK THE PLAINTIFFS WILL SUCCEED IN THEIR CASE AGAINST GARY, BRAVO, AND THE BELOW DECK PRODUCERS?
