“Below Deck Mediterranean” has seen its share of unforgettable crew drama over the years, but season 11 delivered a Bravo first after an incident involving deckhand Luke Brumer left the crew stunned and Captain Sandy Yawn considering disciplinary action.
The controversy began after Luke hooked up with Genevieve Lillie in his shared cabin while his roommate, Nathan Gallagher, was away for the evening. The pair later moved to Nathan’s bed, where Luke left bodily fluids on the sheets.
Although Luke later admitted he should have cleaned the bedding, Nathan unknowingly slept in the soiled sheets for three days before learning what had happened.
Once the truth came out, the fallout quickly escalated from crew gossip to a formal report with Captain Sandy.
Nathan Gallagher Confronts Luke Brumer After Learning the Truth
The situation came to light after deckhand Joe Bradley told Nathan what had happened.
Initially, Nathan tried to approach the conversation lightly.
“I’d advise you to change my sheets ASAP,” he joked to Luke.
However, Luke’s explanation did little to ease the tension.
In a confessional, Luke admitted, “I never had the opportunity to clean the sheets. But I should’ve. Should’ve, could’ve, didn’t. What can you do, you know?”
He also told Nathan he had been hungover after the crew’s night out.
That explanation frustrated Nathan even more.
“I’m so confused,” Nathan said in a producer interview. “He’s using every other excuse under the sun. This was your opportunity to come to me and say sorry.”
Nathan explained that what upset him most wasn’t just the incident itself—it was that Luke never told him.
“The more that I think about this, it’s the fact that Luke hasn’t said anything about this in three f–kin’ days,” Nathan said. “He had the opportunity to tell me, and the fact that he hasn’t told me, and it’s gone around the boat and everyone else is talking about it, that’s what’s pissing me off.”
When Nathan realized Joe had been the one to reveal the situation, he confronted Luke directly.
“I’m actually getting pissed off, the more I think about it,” Nathan told him. “You’ve (expletive) disrespected me.”
Nathan then warned Luke that any further issues could have serious consequences.
“Now if you keep (expletive) up with your job, it’s not gonna end well. If you piss me off the slightest amount again, you’ll be on the passerelle with your (expletive) bags packed.”
Captain Sandy Calls the Incident ‘Potentially Fireable’
Nathan eventually informed Captain Sandy about what had happened, prompting a strong reaction from the longtime captain.
“That crosses every line. That is so disrespectful,” Sandy said.
She explained that the situation required formal documentation.
“I now have to write a report. This is a serious offense.”
In a confessional, Sandy added, “What Luke did, it’s potentially a fireable offense. It’s unprecedented.”
Although she stopped short of making an immediate decision, Sandy confirmed the incident would become part of Luke’s employment record.
“I’ll make my decision on how to handle this after this charter,” she said. “But in the meantime — because of the severity of the situation — I need to write this report.”
She continued, “It’s official. That’s something other captains will see, and I hope Luke takes away from this that he should have consideration for your bunkmate. There are protocols.”
New episodes of “Below Deck Med” air Monday nights on Bravo.
