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Emile Kotze, a former star of the reality show Below Deck, has taken legal action against NBCUniversal, seeking a staggering $850 million. Kotze alleges that the network engaged in a “coordinated campaign of exploitation, harassment, and deceit” during his tenure on the show.
Having made his appearance as a deckhand on Bravo’s popular series in its third season, Kotze was just 23 years old at the time. Now at 34, he finds himself locked in a legal confrontation with the parent company of Bravo, a battle that began in June 2025, according to confirmation from Us Weekly.
In his lawsuit, Kotze asserts that he endured sexual harassment, manipulation, and degrading treatment throughout the filming process in 2015, as well as in the aftermath. This prompted him to file an amended complaint on June 13, 2025, a mere fortnight after his initial lawsuit was lodged in the Southern District of New York.
In a related development, two former crew members have filed a lawsuit against Bravo and NBC, along with Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King. The suit alleges that the parties involved concealed King’s sexual misconduct, which was brought to light in 2022. This legal action, initiated by hair and makeup artist Samantha Suarez and camera operator Grey Duddleston, was filed on Tuesday, February 25, with the Superior Court.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Gary King, Bravo and NBC are all being sued by two former crew members for allegedly covering up King’s sexual misconduct, which was reported in 2022. Below Deck hair and makeup artist Samantha Suarez and camera operator Grey Duddleston filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, February 25, with the Superior Court […]
In October 2025, Kotze filed a second amended complaint, claiming that after he was cast on Below Deck, the showrunners decided they wanted him to be part of a “showmance” with female crew member Raquel “Rocky” Dakota.
One executive allegedly pointed to Kotze’s South African background and possible “traditional values” as something that would help with the story line.
“We can get some fish-out-of-water tension with him. Plus, he’s not union or anything, we can push him harder,” the executive allegedly said, according to the court filing.
The Below Deck franchise has had its fair share of chaos over the years, but there were some moments that stood out more. During season 7 of the Bravo show, chief stew Kate Chastain and bosun Ashton Pienaar had a scary confrontation when the latter was drunk after a night out. Ashton ended up punching […]
Kotze further claimed that once filming began, production “piled” him with alcohol during his downtime and was “encouraging him to ‘make a move’” on Dakota, despite his alleged hesitation about pursuing a romantic relationship with her.
Kotze alleged that during cast nights out after charters, the producers would encourage them to take shots and do drinking games. He claimed that one such night led to Dakota “in a distraught emotional state” climbing the yacht’s mast and jumping overboard.
Kotze claimed in the docs that he was “traumatized witnessing this, as he feared for Rocky’s life.” He alleged that production “treated it as a dramatic plot twist – cameras kept rolling, and they later used the footage as entertainment.”
“After filming, Defendants defamed Plaintiff by deceptively editing footage to portray him in a false and damaging light, misappropriated his likeness for continued commercial gain without consent, and engaged in a cover-up and retaliation campaign to silence and discredit him when he sought redress,” the lawsuit read, claiming that Kotez’s alleged mistreatment continued once filming wrapped.
NBCUniversal had no comment.
Kotze is seeking between $633 million and $850 million in damages, claiming in his lawsuit that $123 million was lost in future earnings because his “once-promising yachting career was destroyed.”
Not always the perfect fit. Over the years, the Below Deck franchise has shocked viewers with dramatic exits, including firings and resignations. Mathew Shea set a record for Below Deck Mediterranean when he made several departures during season 6. The chef initially left the boat when he suffered a knee injury that required medical attention. […]
He said he is seeking “no less than $10 million” in damages for emotional distress and proposed for punitive damages he be awarded $500 million.
Kotze also asked the court to demand that the network remove or delete any “intimate images or photos” of him from all platforms and stop future distribution or streaming of season 3 episodes “containing defamatory or unauthorized content.”
If the episodes remain up, Kotze wants the network to add a disclaimer to the show “clarifying that certain portrayals of the Plaintiff were manipulated.”
NBC, meanwhile, filed a motion to dismiss the first amended complaint in October 2025, but a judge denied the motion on January 3, People reported.