‘Below Deck’: Simone Mashile Claps Back at Fan Who Gave Her Heat About Diversity in Yachting Remark
Simone Mashile from Below Deck responded to the backlash she received from her remarks about the lack of diversity in yachting.
Mashile told Showbiz Cheat Sheet she found the yachting industry to lack diversity. She also recounted her own experiences beyond the series. Mashile shared that she did not experience racism on the show. But Mashile pushed back on Captain Lee Rosbach’s claim that the industry is diverse. Rosbach answered a fan’s question on Twitter about the all-white cast.
“Yeah, we had some [crew members] that weren’t on camera, engineers, some of who I’ve worked with on the show and off the show more than once,” Rosbach responded to the fan. “And would again, given the opportunity to.”
Simone Mashile said Captain Lee’s statement is not accurate
“He is just feeding misinformation, borderline lies,” she said. “How there is no diversity in the yachting industry. It is truly mostly a homogenous industry. And I feel that people who aren’t Caucasian or have a certain look of like blond hair, blue eyes, which is incredibly favored, by the way, just don’t get equal opportunities.”
A fan read the story and called Mashile out on Instagram. “I have to speak out about your comments, Simone,” the fan wrote. “As a person of color in the hospitality industry, as an executive, I would never hire you on my team.”
“I understand you were on television and there has to be a dramatic element to provide entertainment to your audience but your season of Below Deck was truly atrocious because of the actions of all the male crew on the show (aside from Lee) and you,” the person continued. “Honestly, you were not that great of a stewardess.”
“As for the lack of diversity in yachting—there is a lack of diversity in many industries for POC, the gay, women, transgenders, etc.” the person added. “I made it very far in my career as a person of color, I think that this narrative has to stop being created.”
Simone Mashile says she shared her own experiences
Mashile responded to the fan directly. “As a person of colour I would NEVER want to work under you either,” Mashile shared on her Instagram story. “You really sound like an uncle ruckus and hope you take a long look on the mirror too one day and realize that instead of assuming that POC are using their LIFE experiences to extend a narrative, that if they were given the same opportunities as others this narrative would not exist.”
“You sound like ‘racism only exists if you talk about it’ or ‘why are black people always pulling the race card.’ You honestly have some NERVE trying to come onto my page and try to SILENCE me for speaking the truth for the experience that so many of us POC have experienced in this industry.”
“Do you work in the yachting industry?” Mashile questioned. “Nope! Did you work on below deck 24/7 to understand the whole picture and NOT an edited version of me that suits a story line NNNNNOPE. And if I’m sooooo bad as a stew then how the hell is my career still thriving and going onwards and upwards. Please save your regressive point of view for someone else.”
