Below Deck reality star Gary King has been accused of sexually assaulting makeup artist Samantha Suarez in a new lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Suarez and King previously worked together on the Bravo show’s spinoff series Sailing Yacht.
Suarez and her boyfriend Grey Duddleston, who was a cameraman on the show, claimed they were wrongfully fired from the show after they came forward about King’s alleged misconduct.
Together, the two filed lawsuits against King, Bravo, NBCUniversal, and Below Deck’s production company, 51 Minds, alleging 16 counts of action total, including harassment, retaliation, sexual battery, assault, wrongful termination, and emotional distress.
The Independent has contacted Bravo and NBCUniversal for a comment.
According to the complaint obtained by People, Suarez claimed production had told her to bring a bundle of bottled water and snacks to King’s hotel room while they were filming season four of Below Deck Sailing Yacht on July 3, 2022.
Once she arrived at his room, she claimed King insisted Suarez bring the refreshments inside. When she stepped in the room, King allegedly “grabbed her, held her restrained by her upper body and arms and pressed his entire body against her” and wouldn’t let her leave. Suarez claimed King was “highly intoxicated” under the influence of alcohol.
In the lawsuit, Suarez goes on to allege she tried to “fight her way out” by “kicking and elbowing King and screaming at him to get off of her.” Once she was able to break free from his hold, the beauty artist allegedly attempted to jump toward the door, but King supposedly slammed it shut with “his entire body weight” before she could pass the threshold.
Suarez claimed she “braced herself” because she was then “sure she was about to be raped.” However, according to her filing, she then allegedly received a call from someone on her phone and answered it as King moved from the door.
The complaint alleged King followed Suarez into the hallway wearing just his underwear. Suarez also claimed that King touched her shoulders and back and asked, “What’s wrong sweetie?” before eventually returning to his hotel room.
Suarez is suing the network for a hostile work environment, retaliation and wrongful termination, while King returned for season five of the show, which concluded in January.
King has denied the allegations.
