Aesha And Margot Respond To The ‘Below Deck Down Under’ Incident
The Below Deck Down Under family have rallied around Margot Sisson after she was the victim of a serious incident on board the Midnight Sun, with both Aesha Scott and Margot issuing lengthy statements on Instagram.
I’ll give you a refresher on what went down in the extremely emotional episode, but it does cover themes of sexual harassment. If you’d prefer to avoid this topic, click away now.
Margot Sisson from Below Deck Down Under. Image credit: Instagram/@zmargotz
After the crew downed a few too many drinks in Cairns, Aesha Scott noticed that stew Margot was in no state to consent, and was actively trying to avoid Luke’s flirty nature. Things got dangerous when a fully naked Luke let himself into Margot’s room and slipped under the covers with her.
Thankfully, the producers intervened, and Captain Jason promptly ordered Luke off the boat, before firing him the next day. It wasn’t the only instance of “inappropriate” behaviour, as stew Laura Bileskalne was seen refusing to take no for an answer from deckhand Adam Kodra. She ended up in his room, giving him a massage, and was also fired the next day by Captain Jason.
@itspunkee Captain Jason explains his decision to fire Luke and Laura from Below Deck Down Under. #belowdeck #belowdeckdownunder #captainjason #captaincutie #bravo #Hayu #superyacht #crewmate ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
This entire episode was a really difficult watch, but seeing the Below Deck Down Under crew members support their “family” since has genuinely touched me.
Margot Sisson speaks out about the Below Deck Down Under incident.
On Instagram, Margot shared a photo of herself with Aesha, and thanked her for supporting her through the incident. “The way she recognised the vulnerability of the situation I was in and her courage intervention on my behalf was both heroic and so admirable. I thank the universe for her every day,” she wrote.
The crew member then tagged Captain Jason in another Instagram Story, saying that the way he handled the incidents on board was “immediate”, and acknowledged that not all captains would have acted so swiftly.
“There are unfortunately a lot of captains who would choose to sweep something like this under the rug, I am grateful that Jason is not one of them. Thank you for repeatedly making me feel safe and supported. I wish every captain were just like you. Sending you so much love right now,” she wrote.
Image credit: Instagram/@zmargotz
Margot also issued a blanket statement to any women who have been “affected by sexual assault”, saying that they’re “not alone”.
“I understand that this episode was deeply triggering and incredibly difficult for many to watch. However, I believe it was vital to show because this issue is all too real and far too frequent. Perpetrators often escape accountability, and this is not okay. I was lucky to have Aesha and the producers intervene, but I’m all too aware that many women have not and will not be so fortunate and it makes me feel sick to my stomach.”
She went on to add that nobody should ever feel shamed, or have their experience “minimised”. “It breaks my heart to know that this has happened to so many of you reading this… your body is your body, your space is your space, your bed is your bed, and nobody is allowed to enter that bubble without consent.”
Aesha Scott with production on Below Deck Down Under. Image credit: Instagram/@lightgathermedia
Aesha Scott addresses “inappropriate” behaviour on Below Deck Down Under.
Fan fave Aesha, who impressed fans with her quick response to help both Margot and Adam, also shared her thoughts on Instagram.
“I wanted to take the opportunity to remind everyone of the main message that was shown on the episode, which is that women, and actually everyone, have the right to go out and have fun and feel safe and that is just the f**king end of it,” she said.
“There are no questions or if’s or but’s, that is the end of it. So please keep an eye on your friends and each other… we don’t actually know what would have happened, but being in her bed naked – and she’s got no idea – it actually makes my skin crawl. You have no right to put someone unconscious into that position.”
If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. 13Yarn is also available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in need of support.
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Image credits: Hayu, Below Deck Down Under, Instagram/@aesha_jean, @zmargotz, @lightgathermedia