Below Deck: The Drama That Led To Captain Sandy Giving Kyle Viljoen An Ultimatum
Captain Sandy Yawn blasted second steward Kyle Viljoen on the 10th episode of Season 8 "Below Deck Mediterranean." Taking a firm stance, she said, "Every situation that's happened on this boat, guess who's the common denominator?" The skipper pointed out that Viljoen had trouble managing his emotions, yet wanted the position of Chief Steward. "I promise you I will put you on the dock so fast if you don't change your bullying, your screaming, your lack of respect in the workplace for people." Yawn then warned Viljoen that if even one crew member had one complaint about him, he would be off the ship, the Mustique, for good.
Things weren't looking up for Viljoen when he took to social media before temporarily deactivating his account and wrote (via Reality Titbit), "Money is not everything. My mental deterioration was the cost of my opting for finance." Kyle shared the reasons that he wanted to build a career after leaving South Africa, his home country. "I started a career in New York after immigration legal bills piled up and left me with nothing, especially as I continuously dream to be on your television screens more and more," he said. Viljoen shared that he had to deal with his mental health after Captain Yawn reprimanded him while the cameras still rolled, but what triggered the fallout? And was Viljoen really fired from the show?
Kyle Viljoen stirred trouble among the crew
Captain Sandy Yawn realized there was trouble brewing when Natalya Scudder announced she was leaving the Mustique. After some probing, Yawn learned that Scudder had tried to placate Kyle Viljoen and Max Salvador during a huge fight. Viljoen turned on Scudder and called her every name in the book. The skipper then noted (via Us Weekly), "I didn't say anything [before] but I had Jessika [Asai] coming to me crying because Kyle came in hot the other day and screamed at her in a cabin." Yawn deduced that Viljoen was losing his temper with the crew at work. She continued, "I want to follow this because it is serious. I am going to speak to Kyle because that is not okay. That is bullying," she said.
"Below Deck Mediterranean" fans knew Viljoen was also behind the tension between Scudder and chief steward Tumi Mhlongo. Scudder told Us Weekly that she and Mhlongo are now on good terms after realizing the games Viljoen was playing. "We do agree there was one person who definitely caused the drama, but we are good now," she said. At the time, Yawn helped to resolve the conflict between Mhlongo and Scudder.
So, when Yawn put all the puzzle pieces together, she called in the big guns and consulted with Mhlongo and chef Jack Luby. They confirmed that he had also been slacking off at work. Only then, did Yawn give Viljoen her final ultimatum.
Kyle Viljoen and Natalya Scudder are friends again
While Kyle Viljoen's social media posts seemed to imply that he had been fired, Captain Sandy Yawn did not actually dismiss him from his job. Viljoen shared on Instagram (via Reality Titbit), "You are going to see me going through more difficult situations in the season ... I wish I had quit when I wanted to, when I packed my bag and asked to leave. I opted for my mental health but I had to stay and work through it on TV." Viewers saw him process some of his conversation with the skipper when he spoke to chief stew Tumi Mhlongo. He told Mhlongo, per E! News, "I'm resigning." Viljoen explained further, "I will take that I had my arguments, but being called common denominator, you can understand that would upset you too." Luckily, Mhlongo was able to persuade Viljoen to stay and finish the season.
And if you're wondering how Viljoen and Natalya Scudder are doing these days after their epic fight, the answer may surprise you. Viljoen took to Instagram and shared three snaps of him and the Australian native. He penned, "[W]e're just glad to being back as friends again ... hopeful that the positive, crazy and outrageously great times are ahead." Captain Yawn reached out in the comments section, writing, "Love this and love you both." It seems as if everything has ended well for the "Below Deck Mediterranean" captain and crew, and that Viljoen survived to stew another day.