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Warning: This story contains spoilers about the current season of Below Deck. It includes details of inappropriate behaviour that readers may find upsetting.
One of the crew members from the reality show Below Deck Down Under has apologised for the behaviour that got her fired.
Laura Bileskalne used Instagram this week to “sincerely apologise” to deckhand Adam Kodra, after a recent episode showed Bileskalne repeatedly making romantic advances towards deckhand Kodra despite him saying he wasn’t interested.
“I did not realise I made him feel uncomfortable and no one should be put in that position … I was 29 when the show was filmed, 30 was my life-changer. I am 31 now, and I am watching it as all of you, an entertainment show,” she wrote.
Elsewhere in the episode, which dropped in the US on August 7 but has not aired in New Zealand yet, Tauranga-born star Aesha Scott became concerned with crew member Luke Jones’ behaviour towards stew Margot Sisson, believing he “kind of wanted to take advantage of Margot’s drunkenness a little bit”.
Scott helped Sisson into bed, however, when the younger cabin crew member was asleep, a drunken and naked Jones entered her cabin and got under the covers before producers intervened.
After Jones was forced out of Sisson’s bed by producers, a teary-eyed Scott alerted Captain Chambers to Jones’ behaviour. He was removed from the boat that night, and fired the next day.
Both Chambers and Scott have been praised online for the handling of both incidents, and in response to the “lovely messages” received, Chambers posted a video to Instagram on Thursday, and wrote in the caption he hoped those involved, “use this time to reflect and use this opportunity to not only change, but help others”.
“Everyone has the chance in life to grow, learn from experiences either good or bad and become the best humans. Respect Boundaries.”
In the video, Chambers said he wasn’t aware of what goes on when the crew goes out and thanked the production team for stepping in, adding he addressed the issue as soon as Scott brought it to his attention.
“It’s real, it’s real-time.”
Bravo
Aesha Scott and Captain Jason Chambers are being praised online for their handling of the incident int he recent episode.
Chambers said the troubling incidents actually occurred “over a year ago”.
“I will stress that the people involved are all hopefully on a better journey, to better themselves. Less hate please, more love. Let’s send it home and know that this is not acceptable.”
Scott had already spoken about the incident on Instagram, but followed up with another post thanking her 650,000 followers for their support.
“We all need to remember to be vigilant when we are out together,” she wrote.
“I know we should always feel safe in the first place, but life isn’t always like that, so watch your friends and make sure no one goes home alone … Have each other’s backs. Also, so proud of how many people have been talking about consent and women supporting women, especially all the men out there that have spoken out in support. It shows me we are moving into a much more positive space in the world, and I’m very happy about that.”
Below Deck mate Tzarina Mace-Ralph also added to the commentary on Instagram: “Women should be able to be black out drunk if they want to. We should be able to stand in a room naked and not have anyone do anything to us.”
She also set up a petition to make it a legal requirement to have background checks on seafarers internationally.
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