Below Deck Stars Who Are Now Parents
If there is one thing Bravo fans know, there is nothing like the drama that happens on a superyacht — both within the crew working aboard and amongst the immensely wealthy charter guests. Viewers cannot get enough of this fascinating world taking place on the high seas, and Bravo keeps the content going year-round. The wildly popular reality series "Below Deck" debuted on Bravo back in 2013, and it was followed by spinoffs "Below Deck Mediterranean," "Below Deck Sailing Yacht," "Below Deck Down Under," and "Below Deck Adventure."
The complex relationships between the yacht crew often prove more entertaining than the fancy lives of the super rich guests aboard, especially when a boat romance (aka "boatmance") ensues. Year after year, season after season, members of the cast pair up and give relationships a go. Sometimes it works out, most times, it doesn't. And only one (as far as we know) boatmance resulted in a pregnancy and paternity scandal.
While there's only been one boatmance baby, a number of "Below Deck" cast members have become parents outside of the show.
Alli Dore moved on and started a family
Alli Dore, who appeared on Season 2 of "Below Deck Sailing Yacht," served as a third stewardess aboard sailing yacht Parsifal III. The Australian beauty was involved in her fair share of drama onboard as she found herself in the midst of a messy love triangle with bosun Gary King... who was also romancing deckhand Sydney Zaruba. But after heading back to her native Australia, Dore moved on from King pretty quickly.
The reality star announced on Instagram that she and partner Benny Thompson were expecting in June 2021. "So excited for this new adventure with you and our little ocean baby @bennithompson xx," she wrote. Dore would give birth to son River George Thompson in August. Dore made the happy announcement on Instagram, where she opened up about his early arrival, writing in part, "He's come a little prematurely but is doing better everyday. We are so proud of our strong little man. The last couple of weeks we faced challenges I never thought we'd have to it's been really emotional but also the most special time in our lives because we have River at the end of it all."
Dani Soares became a mom after her season
"Below Deck Sailing Yacht" Season 2 star Dani Soares, who served as second stew on the Parsifal III, quickly got into a boatmance with a much younger deckhand on the vessel, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux. Though the couple was inseparable throughout their season, once filming wrapped, it was unclear whether they'd be able to make it work, as Cerza-Lanaux was based in the United States and Soares had been living in Australia.
And then, things took a surprising turn. In April 2021, Soares posted a photo of her baby bump on Instagram and wrote, "It's just you and I little baby." A month later, daughter Lilly Rose was born. Bravo viewers were curious if her co-worker might be the father, given the timeline. For his part, Cerza-Lanaux didn't do himself any favors, initially staying quiet on the issue before questioning the baby's paternity.
In June 2021, the cast got back together for the show's reunion. In the episode, Soares revealed Cerza-Lanaux was the only possible father, sharing, "This baby was made during the season while we had cameras 24/7 with us and I only slept with one guy." In January 2022, Cerza-Lanaux finally confirmed what many "Below Deck" fans had long speculated: he was indeed the father. In a lengthy Instagram post, the reality star wrote in part, "An international DNA test that was done awhile ago was no small feat. I'm happy and proud to say Sweet and beautiful Lilly rose is my daughter."
Tiffany Copeland's baby is part of the Below Deck family
Bravo viewers met Tiffany Copeland back in 2016, as a stewardess on the inaugural season of "Below Deck Mediterranean." Though she only appeared on one season of the series, she holds the distinction of giving birth to the second-ever "Below Deck" baby. Copeland married Evan Jones in October 2020, four years after leaving reality television behind, and the couple went on to welcome a daughter two years later in July 2021. The yachtie announced the exciting news via Instagram that month, revealing that the couple had named their daughter Amelia Rose alongside some precious photos.
While Copeland has seemingly moved on from the "Below Deck" world (and the yachting world, for that matter), members of the "Below Deck" family are still a part of her life. As Adrienne Gang, the chief stew of "Below Deck" Season 1, wrote in an Instagram comment, "We are so excited to welcome Amelia Rose to the Below Deck family! Auntie Adrienne and Uncle can't wait to meet you sweet girl!!!"
Hannah Ferrier started a new life chapter
Hannah Ferrier first graced the small screen in 2017 when she took on the role of chief stewardess on Season 2 of "Below Deck Mediterranean." She remained with the show until Season 5, when she was infamously fired by Captain Sandy Yawn after bosun Malia White discovered Ferrier's unapproved Valium and CBD pen in their shared bunk. Looking back on the drama, Ferrier told E! News, "It's just a TV show and it's not who I am and it's not how I define myself." Though she's done with "Below Deck Med," she told Showbiz CheatSheet that she hasn't shut the door on the franchise entirely. "If [Captain Lee Rosbach] had a really bad chief stew, and he needed me to come back to help him? I would because he's always been there for me in the past," she said.
After parting ways with "Below Deck Med," Ferrier experienced some major life changes. In November 2020, she welcomed a daughter, Ava Grace, with beau Josh Roberts. She posted some adorable snaps of the newborn on Instagram in honor of the occasion, writing in part, "Madam has arrived! Josh and I are so happy to welcome to the world our little girl – Ava Grace Roberts. Born on the 26th of October. She is already a little menace that has captured our hearts forever." Ferrier and Roberts went on to tie the knot in March 2022 in the former reality star's native Australia.
Jessica More has embraced motherhood
After watching 2020's Season 5 of "Below Deck Mediterranean" unfold, viewers saw third stew Jessica More fall hard for hunky deckhand Rob Westergaard. The couple even seemed like they may defy the boatmance odds and stay together, even planning to take a trip to Bali together after their charter season ended. But sadly the romance didn't last much longer after the cameras stopped rolling. And it seems like things did not end on the friendliest of terms. By September 2020 — a month before their season aired its final episode — they were no longer following each other on Instagram.
More has since moved on. In July 2022, when she announced on Instagram that she was expecting a baby, she did not announce the father's identity. After welcoming daughter Charli Ella that October, More said to Us Weekly, "We'd like to keep [her] dad private for now. But Charli is very much loved by both her mom and dad." Ahead of Charli's arrival, More addressed her relationship status with Charli's father. "We're not together, but we'll be co-parenting," she told Showbiz CheatSheet. "He lives in Ft. Lauderdale. He'll be a good dad."
Anastasia Surmava is a proud mom
"Below Deck Mediterranean" Season 4 star Anastasia Surmava had quite the journey during her one season stint on the show. Though she originally joined the grew as the third stew to Hannah Ferrier, when original chef Mila Kolomeitseva showed some seriously underwhelming skills in the kitchen and was fired from her duties, Surmava stepped in to the chef's shoes to help out for a few charters before returning to her stew duties.
The former reality star went on to marry a model named Will Higginson in July 2022. Two months later, the happy couple revealed they were expecting their first child together. Daughter Arabella joined the family in March 2023, with Surmava posting a sweet snap on Instagram alongside a caption that read in part, "The most precious gift you've ever given me @will_higginson 💕 Welcome to the world Miss. Arabella A. Higginson. I can't wait to see you thrive in this world my little fish 🤍."
Mathew Shea sailed into fatherhood
It's not just the female "Below Deck" alums that are joining the parenthood club. Fans of the series will undoubtedly remember Chef Mathew Shea, who showed off his cooking skills on Season 6 of "Below Deck Mediterranean" and ruffled a lot of feathers, nearly getting himself fired in the process. That season ended up being his one and only time on the network, and it seems he made some big changes after leaving our screens in 2021.
In December 2022, Shea took to Instagram to share that he was expecting a baby with fiancée Joanna Betsy. Then in March, the couple took to social media once more to announce that their son was born. Betsy captioned a snap of the newborn on Instagram, "Introducing Noah Marcel Shea! He arrived fashionably late, and after 34 hours of labor. We love him beyond all reckoning. All 6lbs 12oz of him. We are so honored and proud to be his parents!" A week after Noah was born, Shea posted a tribute to his other half, writing, "@joannabetsy you are a warrior, and after sharing that experience together, I am in awe of you. ... Noah and I are so lucky to have you in our lives."
Kate Chastain shared happy news in late 2022
The reigning "Below Deck" queen, Kate Chastain was with us through six seasons of the original series. We first met her on Season 2 as the new chief stewardess, and she made a very memorable entrance. As Captain Lee Rosbach famously said, "Kate looked like the charter guest, not like the chief stew." The glamorous yachtie quickly won the hearts of Bravo viewers, who grew to love her sharp tongue and impressive management skills. Everyone was also endeared to Chastain while watching her sweet relationship with Rosbach unfold, and sad to see her exit after Season 7.
Chastain revealed some pretty exciting news about her personal life to People in December 2022: she's expecting. In the exclusive, the former chief stew shared that she's due in May 2023, stating, "It's something I've always hoped for so this is truly a dream come true!" She confirmed on "Watch What Happens Live" that she will be raising the baby on her own. "Perhaps with some help, but I'm happy to do it alone," she added.
Of course, close pal Rosbach is also thrilled about Chastain's news, telling People, "I have no doubt she's going to be a great mom. ... She's taken on a big challenge, but she's more than up to it. And I don't think I've ever seen her this happy." In April, Chastain shared some bump pics on Instagram and wrote, "It's the final countdown thank God."