‘Below Deck Mediterranean’: Captain Sandy Didn’t Know About the Serious Nature of the Crew’s Drunken Fight – but Neither Did Captain Lee on ‘Below Deck’
Some Below Deck Mediterranean fans were floored that Captain Sandy Yawn didn’t hear the raucous crew fight but also she didn’t fire Lexi Wilson on the spot the next day.
The latest episode of the series is a reminder that the captains are truly isolated from most crew drama and depend upon the crew to clue them in, in order to make decisions. Chief stew Katie Flood tells Yawn that Wilson is problematic but doesn’t have the opportunity to share specific details that likely would have resulted in Wilson being fired. This isn’t the first time the captain doesn’t have all the information to make a decision on the show. Captain Lee Rosbach didn’t realize how severe the crew fight was during Below Deck Season 7 that resulted in Kate Chastain (briefly) quitting.
Captain Lee also didn’t know details of the ‘Below Deck’ Season 7 fight
Like Yawn, Rosbach slept through an epic season 7 crew fight. While the worst part of the fight occurred in the van ride home from the bar, bosun Ashton Pienaar got in Chastain’s face in the crew mess. That’s when she quit and left the boat. Rosbach woke the next day without realizing that Chastain had quit. The crew gave him sketchy details, but like the Below Deck Mediterranean crew, the Below Deck crew told Rosbach the crew had a fight, and Chastain left.
Chastain also did not go into detail about the magnitude of the fight with Rosbach either. “Captain Lee, the whole season, had no idea that Ashton got so violent,” she told Decider. “Everyone thinks he favors me, which he doesn’t, it’s called tenure, it’s called I’m a good worker. But I wanted to be strong enough to not bring it to Captain Lee.”
“When Ashton went crazy in the van, if I had told Captain Lee the extent of it, Ashton would’ve flown home the next day,” she added. “That would not have been good for the rest of the season, that would not have been good for the rest of the charter guests, for the crew on the boat, so I didn’t tell Captain Lee what Ashton did.”
‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ viewers demand that Lexi Wilson be fired
Some fans demanded that Wilson be fired after she forced herself on Lloyd Spencer, pushing her breasts into his face. “Lexi putting her breasts in his face is SEXUAL ASSAULT,” one person tweeted. “U could see his emotional reaction to the awful boundary violation before he left the hot tub. She should be removed from the show immediately. If a man forced private parts, there would be no question.”
And while Flood told Yawn that Wilson was out of control, she did not specifically bring up the moment with Spencer. Or the physical aggression with Mzi “Zee” Dempers.
Like Captain Lee, Captain Sandy based her decision on what the crew shared with her
Rosbach had a similar exchange with his crew after their fight. So, like Yawn, he suggested Chastain and Pienaar work out their differences when Chastain finally returned. Yawn too hoped the crew could work out the tension. Plus replacing Wilson was not easy since a new crew member had to quarantine ahead of time.
But once Rosbach realized what occurred between Pienaar and Chastain, he was completely shocked and upset. “All of this I’m hearing for the first time,” Rosbach said about the incident in the Below Deck After Show. “I am shocked. And I’m sure I’m going to be shocked when I see what transpires. And I’m sure I’m going to have a different viewpoint when I actually see the visual.”
He turned to Chastain, “Just from what I’m hearing now, it’s like you should have come to me earlier with some of this stuff.” Rosbach then vowed to never work with Pienaar again. Pienaar apologized during the reunion.
