Bruno Duarte didn’t get along with Captain Lee or Kate Chastain on Below Deck season 5. What’s the former deckhand been up to since leaving the show?
Below Deck season 5 star Bruno Duarte has been keeping busy since appearing on the Bravo reality television series in 2017. Bruno wanted to join Below Deck season 5 because he was a fan of the show. He previously worked on cruise ships and had his first stint yachting on the show as a deckhand. Bruno worked hard during his time on Below Deck season 5, but he didn’t get along with Captain Lee Rosbach or Chief Stew Kate Chastain. Some Below Deck fans think Kate is a bad Chief Stew, and Bruno has echoed this since his exit.
Bruno was a one-and-done Below Deck crew member. Bruno’s time on the show was mixed, though he wasn’t one of the most forgettable Below Deck deckhands. He is remembered for sharing his story about losing his twin brother and living with an abusive father. Bruno showed true tenacity on Below Deck season 5 and continues to share his experience. He hasn’t returned to the franchise since Below Deck season 5, but that doesn’t mean he’s closed the reality TV door completely.
He Clashed With Captain Lee & Kate Chastain
Bruno’s experience on Below Deck season 5 was rough. He has publicly talked about how he, Captain Lee, and Kate clashed throughout the season. Bruno wanted to join Below Deck because he was a fan of the show. However, once he started working on the superyacht, he said working there was much different than what is portrayed in the show. On a podcast episode of Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef, Bruno alleged that Captain Lee treated him badly because he wasn’t “American” and made fun of his accent.
“Captain Lee would make jokes about my accent. It was very, very uncomfortable sometimes to be with him.”
Bruno alleged that Captain Lee forced him to drink alcohol on Below Deck season 5 when he knew that Bruno didn’t drink. During an off-duty dinner, while filming, Bruno said Captain Lee made him have a few bites of a dessert with alcoholin it. Bruno said this felt like “harassment” and said the moment was as if Captain Lee was metaphorically “spitting” on him. “Just the fact that you have a person like him, a captain that does that to a crew member… then forces you to have two spoons of that dessert, which doesn’t make sense,” Bruno admitted.
Bruno didn’t get along with Chief Stew Kate, either. On Marc MacNamara and Arthur Hill’s Discretion Advised Podcast, Bruno said his time on Below Deck season 5 with Captain Lee and Kate was “horrible.” He added that before working with Kate, he liked her. However, the experience of being onboard with Kate was extremely different and made him want to “run out… really fast, far away.” He said that he tried to “avoid” Kate when walking by her because it was “dangerous.”
Bruno Took A Different Career Path (At Least At The Time)
What Has Bruno Been Doing For Work Since Below Deck?
Bruno pursued a different career path after Below Deck season 5. After Below Deck, Bruno left reality TV and pursued a different avenue in the adult entertainment industry. According to Edge Media Network, Bruno became an adult entertainer. He used to take part in adult entertainment with his ex-fiance. It’s unclear if Bruno is still working as an adult entertainer in 2024.
Bruno’s Journey On Below Deck
Bruno Was On One Season Of Bravo’s Yachting Show
Bruno was a deckhand on Below Deck season 5. During his time on Below Deck, he was loved for his honesty. Hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, Bruno explained that he had a rough childhood. He dealt with the loss of his twin brother and an abusive father, according to his profile on Bravo TV. Bruno was expected to grow up quickly and worked as a restaurant waiter. He enjoyed working in hospitality, which led him to work his way into working at five-star hotels. Bruno then began working on cruise ships in guest services and guest relations.
Bruno was a hard worker and was good at his job on Below Deck; however, he had a rough time aboard as he clashed with Captain Lee and Chief Stew Kate. Allegedly, Bruno almost lost his leg during an accident onboard. On the Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast, Bruno alleged that his ankle got caught in a propeller during filming and producers carried on normally. He said that Captain Lee didn’t care about the accident either.
“Oh no, no, he didn’t care at all. It would look at me as like, yeah, you got one leg. It can work.”
Bruno added that instead of Captain Lee checking in on him, production would ask if he was okay throughout the filming of Below Deck season 5. “The [producers] would come to me and ask me if I was okay, even if they knew that they couldn’t talk to me,” he said. Bruno said that Below Deck season 5 was “tricky and intense” and not the experience he thought he was going to have as a fan of the show. Since then, he has not come back to Below Deck or any of its spin-offs.
Will Bruno Ever Return To Below Deck?
Is He Done With The Franchise For Good?
It’s unlikely that Bruno will ever return to the Below Deck franchise. In an interview with Hot Spot Magazine, Bruno said he wanted to appear in another “adventure reality [TV] show” but probably not on Below Deck. “I think that show is over for me,” he said. Bruno has stated that he was a fan of Below Deck before appearing on it. With Kate retiring after Below Deck season 7, Bruno wouldn’t have to cross paths with his former Chief Stew. Bruno said he would probably not return to Below Deck, but other crew members have said the same.
What Is Bruno Up To In 2024?
Bruno Married His Husband Alex
Since leaving Below Deck season 5, Bruno has married his partner Alex V. Bruno met Alex at a gay bar in Cannes, France, with his ex-fiance and felt an instant connection with Alex, according to Hot Spot Magazine. Bruno also revealed he left yachting to focus his attention on his relationship with Alex. “I left my job in the yachting industry to be present in our relationship and since then we’ve been traveling and living our dreams,” he said. Alex added that in 2024, they were focused on starting a new business venture together.
Bruno and Alex were featured in the 2024 spring campaign for ES Collection USA. As part of their collaboration, Bruno and Alex post content modeling ES’ selection of men’s luxury clothing on Instagram. “All of the modeling work has been driven by our social media,” Alex said. Bruno has been busy cultivating a marriage with Alex since the show. It’s clear his life hasn’t slowed down since appearing on Below Deck, one of the best reality TV shows right now.
Bruno had a terrible time on Below Deck season 5 due to his relationships with Captain Lee and Chief Stew Kate. Since leaving the show, he has said the working environment onboard was “horrible” and that he wouldn’t return to Below Deck. In the meantime, Bruno has been focused on growing his career and building his relationship with his husband, Alex.
