Truth Revealed: All of Gary King’s bad behavior on Below Deck Sailing Yacht was scripted by the producers to add drama to the show.
First Officer Gary King has been essential to the Below Deck Sailing Yacht crew since its second season. His boisterous attitude entertains viewers, but he also has a dark side. Gary has a history of womanizing behavior that occasionally crosses the line into aggressive. Now, he faces backlash for his behavior behind the scenes. In August 2023, Gary was accused of sexual misconduct by a Below Deck Sailing Yacht makeup artist. The alleged assault took place on the set of Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4.
Filming of Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 was already complete when the allegations became public, and rumors swirled about the show’s future. It was speculated that Gary would be edited out or the entire season would be scrapped. After more than a year off the air, Below Deck Sailing Yacht returned, with Gary retaining his role as First Officer. The show didn’t address the allegations, and Gary has denied any wrongdoing. In the wake of the scandal, production is attempting to repair Gary’s reputation by putting a positive spin on his season 5 appearance.
Gary Hasn’t Flirted With Any Of The Female Crew Members
His Restraint Is Uncharacteristic
Gary has a penchant for flirtatious behavior, and he has a pattern of hooking up with the crew of the Parsifal III. Each season, he sets his sights on a crew member, only to move on when someone new catches his eye. Gary has little regard for loyalty or relationship status. He most recently had a boatmance with Stew Mads Herrera during Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4, all while interfering in Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher’s romance with Chief Engineer Colin Macrae.
In season 5, Gary’s interaction with the female Parsifal III crew has been unusually limited. Other members of the crew have already been seen flirting, particularly Deckhand Keith Allen and Stew Danni Warren, so there is no shortage of sexual tension aboard the sailing yacht. It is a noticeable change from past seasons that Gary is keeping his distance from the female crew, drawing speculation that production either warned Gary to behave or edited out scenes showing his flirtation.
Gary Seems More Focused On Work
Gary’s Season 5 Storyline Revolves Around His Professional Role
Gary’s main storyline this season has been his performance on Parsifal III. He noted his desire to eventually become a captain and cited this dream as the motivation behind his patience with less experienced crew members. When new Deckhand Emma Crouch made a mistake with the anchor, Gary was initially frustrated and commented about her lack of experience. However, with his goal of becoming captain in mind, Gary used the opportunity to practice his leadership skills and offer guidance to Emma.
Gary made a potentially costly mistake when he crashed the tender into rocks late at night. He was visibly disappointed in himself, immediately waking Captain Glenn Shephard to tell him. The damage to the tender was fortunately superficial, meaning Gary’s mistake was not as devastating as it could have been. Gary pointed out that in all his years of driving tenders, he had never before crashed.
With Gary’s prominent role in season 5, it’s possible that producers gave him a positive edit that would justify their decision to keep him on the show.
The focus on Gary’s role aboard the ship is a welcome change after past seasons chronicling his romantic escapades. However, it’s hard to judge how accurate his depiction on Below Deck Sailing Yacht is following the accusations. With Gary’s prominent role in season 5, it’s possible that producers gave him a positive edit that would justify their decision to keep him on the show. If the only footage they include of Gary highlights his work ethic, it gives a false impression of his dedication.
Gary Isn’t Feeding Into The Drama With Daisy
He Appears To Have Moved On From Their Season 4 Blowup
Gary and Daisy’s coworking relationship reached a low point during season 4.Daisy was caught in a love triangle between Gary and Colin that turned ugly. Daisy and Colin were pursuing a boatmance, but her past with Gary got in the way. Gary’s interference in Daisy’s relationship resulted in an explosive season 4 reunion that left them enraged. The pair then had to immediately return to the Parsifal III and face each other as season 5 began filming.
Although Gary and Daisy’s first interactions in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 were extremely tense, they had several calm conversations to address their problems. Gary admitted he withdrew and wasn’t there for Daisy when she needed him. Even though Gary’s acknowledgment of his wrongdoing satisfied Daisy, she made it clear she was done going out of her way to defend him. Afterward, Gary acknowledged that despite everything that transpired between them, he still had feelings for Daisy.
Gary’s demeanor this season has been calm and reserved, with an uncharacteristic respect for Daisy’s boundaries. While Gary’s maturity is a welcome change, it’s unlikely he experienced deep personal growth between seasons. Production interference is probably to blame for Gary’s newfound decency. In addition to editing out any negative behavior, it’s possible they manipulated his confessional segments to give him a more charitable angle after the allegations against him became public.
Did Producers Tell Gary To Tone It Down This Season?
The Show’s Reputation Suffered After The Accusations Against Gary
Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s producers are scrambling to save the show after the accusations against Gary. His accuser claimed not only did he act inappropriately, but production failed to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. This was especially surprising considering the quick action of the Below Deck Down Under production during an attempted sexual assault, followed by the swift termination of the offender. Gary’s return for season 5 was shocking, as was the network’s silence.
After they became aware of the alleged assault, production likely told Gary to change his behavior to salvage his reputation. They knew his actions would be subject to increased scrutiny. Once the scandal erupted, re-shooting season 5 without Gary was not financially feasible. With viewers largely turned against Gary, production had to find a way to move forward with the footage they had. They further manipulated his appearance in season 5 by editing out anything unfavorable, leaving viewers with an unrealistically flawless version of Gary.
Gary wrote on Instagram that “ most of me will probably be edited out this season ” while alluding to the “ lies ” that tarnished his reputation.
Gary himself agreed that his role in Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 had been manipulated. Gary wrote on Instagram that “most of me will probably be edited out this season” while alluding to the “lies” that tarnished his reputation. His post doubles down on his dismissive attitude toward the accuser, proving that he hasn’t changed as much as production would like viewers to believe.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht producers were left with few options after the accusations against Gary. However, viewers are not fooled by their attempt to clean up Gary’s image. After witnessing his behavior for the past three seasons, it’s hard to believe the footage wasn’t manipulated in Gary’s favor. With his scandal dominating season 5 headlines, production needs to drop the act and get rid of him altogether.
