Captain Lee Rosbach.Photo: Jim Spellman/Getty Images
Captain Lee Rosbachhas weighed in on thesexual misconduct incidentsthat triggered Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne’s firings on Monday’s episode ofBelow Deck Down Under.
“Their behavior was despicable. Both of them,” Rosbach toldUs Weekly. “And I’m sure they’ll be paying the price for it for a long time to come. As they should.”
Earlier this week, not long after theDown Undercrew returned from an alcohol-fueled night off the boat, Jones climbed naked — and “without consent” — into the bed of third stewMargot Sisson, who was sleeping and had been clear she did not want him in her cabin.
Chief stewardessAesha Scott— who recognized the danger in the situation because of her own history with sexual assault after drinking — quickly alertedCaptain Jason Chambers, who removed Jones from the boat that night before terminating his employment the next morning.
Luke Jones, Captain Jason Chambers and Laura Bileskalne.Laurent Basset/Bravo, Mark Rogers/Bravo, Bravo
Laurent Basset/Bravo, Mark Rogers/Bravo, Bravo
Also the day after Jones' misconduct toward Sisson, second stew Laura Bileskalne was also fired not only for the inappropriate way she reacted to the bosun’s actions, but also for a separate incident of inappropriate behavior toward deckhand Adam Kodra the night before.
“I don’t know if I would have had the wherewithal to remain as calm as Captain Jason did, but he certainly stepped up to the plate and did it right,” Rosbach affirmed. He added that he was “grateful” to have never been in a similar situation.
Captain Lee Rosbach.Laurent Bassett/Bravo
“It’s a tough spot to be in," Rosbach acknowledged. “When there’s the captain you’re responsible for everything and anything that does happen. Jason handled it superbly.”
He continued, “They all stepped up to the plate and did the right thing at the appropriate time and didn’t let anything get carried away,” Rosbach said. “Didn’t put it on the back burner, didn’t cover it up. They just dealt with it appropriately.”
Mark Rogers/Bravo
Shortly after the episode aired, Chambers addressed matters in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday and shared that he hoped his former crew members were on a“journey to better themselves”following their departure.
“Hi everybody, I’m sure you’re digesting episode six and seven as I am,” Chambers, 50, said in the clip. “I’ve had a flood of messages over the last 24 hours from people in similar situations, some not so lucky of the outcome, so my heart goes out to them.”
He continued, “I like to thank the production team for breaking the fourth wall, and stepping in. Then reforming and allowing Aesha to come to me in an authentic manner and us dealing with it as we would as captain and crew.”
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Below Deck Down Underairs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
