Well, that's one way to end a night in Thailand, though not a great way. On the latest episode of Below Deck, as the crew heads back to the boat after a night of drinking and dancing, Ashton Pienaar goes full Smashton takes out his frustration with Kate Chastain by punching the van window in a scary series of events.
His foot got caught up in the rope, and he was yanked off the boat into the water, causing him to get pulled by the super yacht. Ashton nearly drowned during the incident, if not for the help of Bravo cameraman Brent who freed him.
In fact, throughout the season, Ashton targeted chief stew Kate Chastain and belligerently lashed out at her during a night out. As a result of his anger, he punched the inside of the van door while on their way back to their mega-yacht, Valor.
She did so "because I've worked for Captain Lee for a long time, and I'm not gonna let Ashton's poor behavior ruin my reputation," Kate explained during the Below Deck Season 7 After Show. It looks like Ashton will find himself at odds with another crew member in an all-new episode of Below Deck on January 6 at 9/8c.
The captain's decision follows an episode on the Bravo reality series earlier this season which saw Ashton attack Kate and then punch a window after he felt she was insulting his family. In the moments before, a belligerent Ashton also grabbed Kate's face and stuck his tongue down her throat.
“I was completely drunk, I was out of my mind, I'm sorry for that,” Ashton emotionally told Kate in February 2020. “I hate the fact that everything has been spun the way it is. But you know what, I have to take responsibility for that because I'm the one that behaved the way I did.”
The bosun said he hasn't spoken to Kate since this season of Below Deck ended, and he's not sure if the two can ever get back to a good place. "I honestly do not see a friendship between Kate [and] I moving forward," he said.
"What hurts me the most is I know I'm not that person. I know my behavior showed that, and I know that I need to take responsibility for that," he said. "Whatever the lesson is in this that I have to learn, I am learning. I know what I need to change, and I will be better for it."
Why did Kate leave Below Deck? In an Instagram post announcing her departure from Below Deck, Kate wrote: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, I have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new land-based role.
Chef Ben Robinson, Kate Chastain's rumored baby daddy, is currently making headlines after he announced his engagement with long term girlfriend Kiara Cabral.
Below Deck / Ashton Goes Overboard
He was unknowingly standing on the wrong side of the line, with his foot near the water. The tow rope quickly caught Ashton's ankle and dragged him overboard. He screamed for assistance as he was being dragged underwater and struggling for air.
Ashton started off by explaining why he had chosen to live sober. He wrote, “My sobriety story is quite different from most. I never really had a drinking problem, in that I could go days or weeks without drinking or craving a drink. My challenge was that I had some deeper underlying issues that I had to deal with.
Ashton Pienaar is lucky to be alive. The South African Below Deck deckhand survived a terrifying accident on Tuesday's episode, barely escaping with his life as he was pulled overboard. "We were within 30 seconds of him dying," Captain Lee Rosbach explained to audiences, choking back tears.
That was thanks in part to Brent Freeburg, a cameraman for this season of Below Deck, who, when he saw Ashton fall into the water, immediately sprung into action, dropping his camera and helping to get that tow line loose so that the deckhand's ankle was free and he could swim to the tender for safety.
Just after Ashton asks Rhylee for help, a loose line wraps itself around Ashton's ankle and drags him off the ship. Rhylee immediately radios, “Man overboard,” which elicits a shocked, “What?!” out of Captain Lee Rosbach.
Sandy that Hannah had undeclared Valium and a CBD pen on board, leading to her dismissal. (Hannah has since explained that the Valium was prescribed and the CBD was legal where they were sailing.)
The 40-year-old announced she was expecting in December 2022. "I am absolutely thrilled to become a mother," she revealed at the time. "It's something I've always hoped for so this is truly a dream come true!" She later gushed "it's been the easiest pregnancy ever," noting that the experience made her feel "so lucky."
Kate Chastain
Chastain was released after posting a $5,000 bond in court.
I didn't sleep with a charter guest. People seem to forget that even though this is a “reality” tv show It is made for entertainment purposes It has to have drama Ignore them Hannah! You have been my favourite since the very beginning The show would be boring without you I certainly wouldn't watch it anymore!
Adrienne has yet to return to Below Deck, much like Amy, but she has been keeping busy with other endeavors. The chief stew has shared that in addition to freelancing as a stew on different boats, she is mainly working in ship galleys as a chef.
“But now, we're not really friends because I heard she was talking poorly about me behind my back.” In addition to detailing her broken friendship with Ferrier, the chief stew told Us that she has not spoken to former costar Ashton Pienaar since they appeared on season 7 together.
Despite working on the yacht with her brother, Kelley Johnson, Amy was quickly ostracized by the group and felt her time on the show was done. She made the decision to leave the series to get closer to her boyfriend. Ironically, Amy and Kate made amends and have since become friends.
Ashton Pienaar
He later returned as a bosun in season 7. Since rocking the boat on the Bravo series, Pienaar has taken up fitness coaching with his company AP Elite. In September 2022, the South Africa native announced that he is engaged to girlfriend Sarah McAlpine Cooper.
Kate Chastain, a friend of Captain Lee Rosbach in real life, revealed in an interview with E! that she was delivering a birthday present to his wife when Lee decided to leave the show for the season.
Kate Will Star in the Reality Series, The Traitors
After leaving Below Deck, Kate Chastain continued to work on the reality show by co-hosting and working as an executive producer on Bravo Chat Room.