The drama in Below Deck’s ninth season took a serious turn after Heather Chase said the N-word to her castmate Rayna Lindsey. Initially, the chief stewardess seemed to shrug off Lindsey explaining to her why it was inappropriate on the show, but she would later apologize both on and off camera. However, Lindsey has continuously vocalized her dismay with how the situation was handled by leadership and is now even calling for the series to be cancelled.
Rayna Lindsey had in fact promised to do a tell-all interview before Bravo released the Below Deck reunion special on February 7. She said at the time that she wanted to "warn other minorities to not come on the show." The tell-all never came to fruition, but she would ultimately reveal how she truly felt on her Instagram Stories. Namely, Lindsey accused the show of encouraging racism. She wrote (via Monsters & Critics):
Looking at the urban blogs vs. the karen blogs (@belowdeckbravo) is just sad. Biggest reason why @belowdeckbravo needs to be cancelled. It’s a platform for open racists to speak freely. MF’s act like rats in real life tho. These platforms are why racism is still here till this day
At the previously aired reunion special – which was missing one part of Rayna Lindsey’s infamous three-way boatmance – the cast discussed the racial slur for the latter half of an hour. Lindsey and Heather Chase seemed to have come to a genuine resolution about the actual incident. The majority of Lindsey’s ire was directed at first officer Eddie Lucas, who she claimed tried to “ruin” her by implying in the season that she had said homophobic slurs, which therefore somehow made Chase’s slur moot. The freshman star vehemently denied the accusations at the reunion and again in her calls to cancel Below Deck, saying,
Take away the show for good @belowdeckbravo. These Karen’s don’t deserve shit. Like as a Black woman I’ve never in my life been racists or prejudice. Like Mf’s is proud of being racists. God know he just letting them run off the deep end. Mf’s got no ancestors or spirit guides helping them just the blind leading the blind chile
Eddie Lucas denied Rayna Lindsey’s side of the story concerning him at the Below Deck reunion, although he himself blasted producers amidst the show airing for their efforts to shut down the controversy entirely while filming. Lindsey added in her Stories that Lucas was “going to hell” for his part and also condemned the 51 Minds production company behind the show for making her “look crazy all season.” She continued, “Imagine being me having to deal with this but it being hidden all season.”
Rayna Lindsey would go on to thank Andy Cohen for discussing the issue at the reunion, saying that she appreciated it. Nevertheless, she’s not the only Below Deck cast mate upset about what was actually said there – because her usually bashful co-star Wes O’Dell shared that he hasn’t received an apology at all from Lindsey for questioning his Blackness in the final episode.
As of yet, neither Bravo nor the team behind Below Deck have responded to Rayna Lindsey’s complaints. We’ll keep you updated if the situation escalates further.
