Some former Below Deck cast members say they are significantly underpaid in comparison to the Real Housewives stars. And they definitely work a whole lot harder. Additionally, some crew members claim they were subjected to racist and sexist comments during filming.
Even though Below Deck shows are among Bravo’s most popular, yachties reportedly only make between $5000 and $6000 a month. Salaries are based on their crew positions, as captains earn nearly triple that amount.
In comparison, some of the Southern Charm cast reportedly make $25,000 per episode. A Real Housewives star can rake in up to $1 million per season. Former stewardess Ashley Marti, who appeared on Season 3 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, believes this pay discrepancy is unfair.
Racist behavior tolerated
“We’re on TV, but technically we’re the help,” Ashley said. “We don’t get the same treatment.”
In addition to their comparatively meager pay, some cast members claim they were mistreated by production. Ashley’s co-worker, Gabriela Barragán, alleges a producer pressured her to consume alcohol despite knowing about her substance abuse issues.
Gabriela, who is Black and Latina, says she was also the target of multiple racist microaggressions from co-workers. On one occasion, a fellow crew member said her natural hair looked like “pubes” and called her “aggressive.”
In another instance, a crew member pointed to a Black person on the street and said, “Look, Gaby, your brother.” Additionally, though it was cut from the show, a crew member made a joke about slavery during a guest talent show. When she brought this to the attention of producers, Gaby says they told her to “calm down” rather than addressing the racist behavior.
Sexist attitudes and manipulation
Stewardess Elizabeth Frankini, who appeared on Below Deck Season 8, also claims manipulation. She says producers encouraged her to sleep in one of the guest cabins with her co-star James Hough. A week later, Chief Stewardess Francesca Rubi told her sleeping in a guest cabin without permission was “the final straw.” Elizabeth lost her job, while James suffered no consequences.
“That gave me a very bad taste in my mouth about Bravo,” she said, “about production, about everything.”
When confronted, Bravo said they “take allegations of misconduct on our shows seriously and review all claims that are brought to our attention.” In addition, the network has developed production policies in recent years. These regulations include “stricter guidelines on alcohol consumption and direction on when to intervene to maintain safety of cast and crew, increased psychological support, enhanced workplace trainings, and a requirement to provide cast and crew with a direct line to NBCUniversal to raise concerns.”
Below Deck Mediterranean is airing Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK IT’S FAIR FOR THE YACHTIES TO RECEIVE SO MUCH LESS OTHER BRAVO STARS? DO YOU THINK PRODUCTION SHOULD TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A SAFER WORK ENVIRONMENT?
