11 August 2023 , 12:55
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Below Deck Down Under's Jason Chambers has spoken out about the sexual misconduct on set of the Australian reality show.
The Bravo TV star took to Instagram on Thursday to thank the production team for "breaking the fourth wall" and intervening during two incidents that occurred on the latest series and to address the 'flood of messages' he'd received from viewers. On Monday 7 August, an episode of Below Deck Down Under aired showing crew members Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne attempting to make non-consensual sexual advances on two of their co-workers.
After learning about the unsettling incident, Captain Chambers called an emergency meeting to discipline the employees in question before terminating their contracts on the Northern Sun. "I want to stress that this is a place where we respect each other. Our cabin is our safety zone. That door is our boundary," he sternly tells Jones and Bikeskalne. "That door is not to be opened unless it's consensual. To walk into someone else's room without consent, indecent, is my limit."
Captain Jason Chambers has addressed the incident (Mark Rogers/Bravo via Getty Images)Bikeskalne, who worked as a stewardess on the Japanese superyacht, then asks Chambers if she can say goodbye to her fellow crew. He promptly denies the request, to which she replies, "Copy." The dramatic scene has had quite the response from viewers, many of whom praised Captain Chambers for his zero-tolerance policy on Jones' and Bikeskalne's actions.
Speaking in an Instagram video yesterday, the 50-year-old sailor said that he typically does not know "what goes on" when the crew go out together. He revealed he was made aware of the situation, however, after production had to step in when deckhand Adam Kodra received unwanted advances from Bikeskalne.
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Laura was fired after making unwanted sexual advances on AdamViewers of the marine-themed show were also left shocked by a separate moment involving Luke Jones, who attempted to crawl into bed naked with crewmate Margot after she had passed out. He then tried to shut the door of the cabin after swearing at the cameras, before marching off to his own room and insisting he had done nothing wrong.
Producers had to step in after Luke tried to crawl into bed with Margot after she had passed out"I hope that the people involved are all hopefully on a better journey to better themselves," Chambers said in the message, before ending on the final note that the incidents were 'not acceptable.'
Captain Chambers reiterated these sentiments in his caption, thanking those who sent him 'lovely messages' following the episodes and expressing 'great sympathy' for viewers who had been triggered by its subject matter.
"I applaud the production team and crew, and I sincerely hope that all parties involved use this time to reflect and use this opportunity to not only change, but help others," the Australian dad wrote. "Everyone has the chance in life to grow, learn from experiences either good or bad and become the best humans. Respect Boundaries."
All episodes of Below Deck Down Under are available on Hayu.