Ben Willoughby and Sunny Marquis Breakup: “It’s Been a Very Difficult Couple of Weeks”

Ben Willoughby and Sunny Marquis have officially broken up. The Below Deck Season 11 bosun and the lead deckhand met for the first time aboard the St. David at the start of Season 11 and continued their romance off-screen once the charter season ended. And now it appears that the yachties have ended their relationship.

Ben took to his Instagram Story on Saturday, Dec. 21, where he revealed that their relationship was over. The revelation of their split came on the heels of Ben deleting photos of him and Sunny together on his Instagram feed. “I need to kindly ask that people respect my space at this time and stop the negative comments and messages. It’s been a very difficult couple of weeks and some things are private between two people,” he wrote in a now-disappeared Instagram Story, according to Us Weekly.

Ben continued, noting that he was focusing on “moving forward” in his life: “I understand that a relationship was [public] and followed by many. Thank you for understanding.”

Sunny Marquis says “It’s time to look forward” amid Ben Willoughby breakup

Sunny also took to her Instagram feed over the weekend, where she posted a photo of herself sitting alone on the rocks at a beach, wearing just her bikini bottoms. In the caption of the post, she hinted that she and Ben had split for good. “Chapter closed,” she wrote.

“Happy holidays and a happy new year to all of you in my life and those who have supported me through their phone screens,” she continued. “It’s time to look forward. See you in 2025.”

Ben and Sunny in Below Deck Season 11.

Details on Ben Willoughby and Sunny Marquis’ Below Deck Romance

Sunny, a first-time deckhand, ended up bonding with Ben throughout Season 11. But, it took Ben until the end of the charter season to finally ask Sunny out on a future date in Miami (which she agreed to). “I walked on to the St. David as the lead deckhand and now I’m leaving as the bosun,” he explained during a confessional in the finale. “I don’t know what the future holds. I think I’ll take it step-by-step, see how I go with Sunny, and who knows.”

Ben then made their relationship Instagram official in late May 2024, after the finale aired, posting a Reel with clips of him and Sunny traveling in different exotic locations. “We did a lot of traveling last year,” Ben wrote in the caption of the now-deleted Reel. “From Mexico, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Canary Islands, Australia, we had a great time navigating life together. This one is a keeper, she’s a special person.”