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Tuesday's Final Word
“Below Deck Sailing Yacht” star Gary King was sued by a makeup artist for alleged sexual battery and assault.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six Tuesday, beautician Samantha Suarez filed a lawsuit against the reality star and Bravo, alleging King attempted to coerce her into sleeping with him in July 2022 while filming Season 4 of the TV series.
Per the filing, King was allegedly drunk when he asked Suarez to bring snacks to his hotel room. When she attempted to leave, he allegedly grabbed her by the arms and restrained her.
Suarez claimed the Bravo star closed the door and leaned on it with his full weight to prevent her from fleeing.
She recalled fearing that she would be raped until another member of the crew allegedly called out for her.
Suarez claimed that once King, 32, realized that another person could hear them, he allowed her to leave.
According to the filing, Suarez “immediately” reported the incident to the production company, which opened an investigation.
King allegedly admitted to the behavior when confronted by producers. However, he was not fired and allegedly only received a warning.
But Suarez’s then-boyfriend, Grey Duddleston — who worked as a camera operator — claimed he witnessed King untie the bikini tops of two female cast members without consent afterward.
Duddleston reported the alleged incidents via the crew’s walkie-talkie system, but production allegedly opened an investigation into him for “inappropriate use” of the equipment.
Bravo allegedly investigated the claims before firing Suarez and Duddleston and putting them on the “do not hire” list.
Suarez is suing the network for hostile work environment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Reps for Bravo weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.
King, meanwhile, returned for Season 5 of the Bravo show, which premiered in October 2024 and concluded in January 2025.
In August 2023, Suarez initially spoke out about the allegations in an interview with Rolling Stone.
At the time, several other crew members came forward alleging King made the female staff uncomfortable.
“He’s next-level scary with women,” one person claimed.
King, however, denied the allegations, insisting Suarez was “lying” in response to a fan’s comment on Instagram.
“I have never sexually harassed someone in my life, and I will never,” he wrote.
