Yahoo Lifestyle Former ‘Below Deck’ Crew Members Sue Networks and Star Over Alleged Sexual Misconduct
Two former crew members on Below Deck filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging sexual misconduct by star Gary King, and have named him, Bravo, NBCUniversal and 51 Minds Entertainment in the legal filing.
In the lawsuit, Samantha Suarez and Grey Duddleston claim that the network and production company involved in the show did little to punish King, although he “admitted what he had done,” according to the legal filing obtained by Parade.
In an incident that allegedly occurred during the filming of Below Deck Sailing Yacht season four in the summer of 2022, Suarez—a hair and makeup artist— said she went to King’s hotel room to deliver a case of water and snacks. King was wearing only underwear when he answered the door and declined to take the water, so Suarez came into the room to drop it off. Upon her exit, King allegedly grabbed and restrained her.
“Suarez managed to break free, ran towards the door and started to pull the door open when King, who was chasing her, got both his hands on the door and slammed it shut keeping her trapped, menacingly laughing and staring at her with evil dilated eyes,” the complaint states. “Suarez was sure she would be raped.”
The legal filing adds that Suarez received and accepted a phone call from another crew member while the alleged incident occurred, prompting King to release her. She was able to exit the room, but once she was in the hallway, Suarez continued to pursue her and grabbed her from behind.
Although Suarez immediately reported the incident to 51 Minds Entertainment, according to the lawsuit, King was not fired following an investigation into the incident. Instead, the filing says, King was given a warning that he would be terminated “if something like that were to happen again.”
Duddleston, who was a camera operator and Suarez’s boyfriend at the time, claimed that he witnessed King engage in other alleged acts of sexual misconduct, including untying the bikini tops of two female cast members, making “lewd remarks to a female audio technician,” and groping the genitals of two cameramen.
Both Suarez and Duddleston alleged that they were not asked to return to the show following NBC’s investigation into their complaints.
Bravo, NBC, 51 Minds Entertainment, and attorneys Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos--who are representing Suarez and Duddleston--did not immediately respond to Parade’s requests for comment.
Back in 2023, King responded to the allegations Suarez initially made in an earlier Rolling Stone piece. “It’s so weird, it’s also so far from the truth. She always wanted a platform and unfortunately I’m the unlucky target,” he wrote in his Instagram comments section. “I’m not going to let some lying girl get to me… read that article fully, multiple times, and this happened to her on multiple seasons … seems odd,” he added.
