Below Deck‘s Barbara Kulaif made a surprising admission about her experience as a gay woman.
During the Monday, June 30, episode of the hit Bravo series, Barbara found herself forming a connection with Jess Theron, sharing in a confessional, “I don’t remember the last time I was with a gay girl. My ex-girlfriend was straight, and we stayed together for a year and a half.”
Barbara said the experience affected how she approached dating.
“I don’t think I want to be the one again waiting for someone’s time,” she noted. “Sometimes you just feel tired to be with someone that is not sure about you. It is nice that Jess is gay. We have a lot in common and I really like her.”
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While Barbara seemed excited at her bond with Jess, the sneak peek for next week’s episode hinted at trouble in paradise. Despite Solène Favreau’s hookup with Kyle Stillie, she will start having second thoughts — and that will leads to her getting in between Barbara and Jess’s potential romance.
Season 12 is already off to a strong start after bringing back Kyle, chief steward Fraser Olender, Captain Kerry Titheradge and now alum Chef Anthony Iracane. Joining the crew were new members Chef Lawrence Snowden, bosun Caio Poltronieri, deckhands Jess and Damo and stews Barbara, Rainbeau de Roos and Solène.
Bravo previously released a synopsis that teased the drama awaiting viewers.
“Known for their unique blend of French and Dutch influences and pristine white sand beaches, the three Caribbean territories surround each other making for an unforgettable, island-hopping charter season,” read the April press release. “This season Captain Kerry demands respect from his crew as they navigate tense work dynamics and tangled love triangles on the high seas.”
In the interior, Fraser’s standards “are higher than ever, but his aim for perfection is sabotaged when his stews’ personalities clash. With more than 15 years of culinary experience, Chef Lawrence brings his fine-dining expertise to the galley. However, when the high-stress environment comes head-to-head with his strong faith, Chef Lawrence contends with his place on the boat.”
The exterior team, meanwhile, is led by Caio who “struggles to manage his team, and when gossip spreads that deckhand Kyle potentially crossed the ultimate line with a charter guest, Captain Kerry must make a tough decision.”
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According to Fraser, viewers should expect at least one person getting fired, which, based on Monday’s episode, seems to be Caio. “There are firings. There are hirings,” he teased in May. “There are disasters left, right and center. But I cannot tell you enough how dramatic and how fun this season is. It is nonstop.”
He continued: “I was so excited to get into this season. I think I’ve grown so much since I first started out on the show — and you never know what you’re going to get as a crew. But I just wanted to make sure that out of any season, this one is where I wanted to bring my crew to the best of their ability. I wanted harmony and I wanted love and friendship and peace amongst all the madness. I think we succeeded.”
Below Deck airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
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Gal Gadot’s replacement in the role is yet to be confirmed
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Celebrity couples tend to fall into one of two camps.
There are the public and very online pairs that roast each other on social media, work through marriage problems on their shared podcasts and...Below Deck‘s Solène Favreau recalled being so emotionally affected by a breakup that she had to be taken to the hospital.
During the Monday, June 30, episode of the hit Bravo series, Solène discussed the “two times” she was in love while on a date with Kyle Stillie.
“It is the best and the worst. That’s why it is love,” she said before elaborating in a confessional. “My first love experience was when I was 22 years old. He left me four times in two years. All that time I was falling in love deeper and deeper. All that time was getting worse and worse.”
Solène shared that her parents had to step in after the breakup.
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“My dad took me to the emergency room because I was so sad that I stopped eating,” she noted. “I couldn’t eat. I would prefer that someone broke my finger than break my heart.”
The stew noted that the experience taught her to be “the opposite of selfish,” adding, “Now I live for me.”
While Solène didn’t elaborate on the second time she was in love, Below Deck viewers know she was previously linked to a Below Deck alum. Solène revealed earlier this season that she once dated Dylan Pierre De Villiers, who appeared in season 11.
“We broke up because he was in another country, so [there was] distance. Even after, I still love him and I was very sad,” she told the cameras. “So now that is why I try to keep everything at no risk. Since Dylan, I’ve never been in love again. I am young, free and I’m not looking for a relationship.”
Solène is currently exploring a connection with Kyle, which led to them sleeping together on Monday’s episode. According to the sneak peek for next week’s episode, however, Solène was already doubting how interested she is in Kyle.
Kyle, for his part, is expected to find a connection elsewhere. The season 12 trailer teased that an upcoming charter will cause issues with Kyle potentially hooking up with a guest at the beach in full view of his coworkers.
Captain Kerry Titheradge later confronted Kyle, who wouldn’t confirm whether he slept with a guest whose husband was on board as well.
“There was an investigation done. I’m not too sure how much of that will be shown, but I did a thorough investigation before I made my decision,” Kerry exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “It will be interesting to see what happens after I interviewed each of the crew members — including what was actually said behind [my back].”
'Below Deck' Franchise Couples That Got Together Outside of Their Seasons
Kerry wouldn’t reveal whether Kyle was fired.
“I don’t get to see what’s going on Below Deck because I’m in the wheelhouse or I’m over here and I can’t be everywhere,” he explained. “I don’t micromanage. I allow my crew to grow and I like to be here and to help encourage people. There’s a lot I don’t see and there’s even more I don’t want to see.”
Chief steward Fraser Olender previously told Us that “things were turbulent” already on St. David before Kyle’s possible hookup.
“I’ve done it before, so I can’t speak on [hooking up with a guest]. What is a hard no is on charter and what is a hard no is potentially engaging in something whilst their married significant other is also around,” Fraser teased in May. “It was definitely [the most explosive thing I have been a part of]. Because this situation then was the catalyst of so many other problems. And this really did spiral into something that no one saw coming. So it’s the beginning of the end. It’s so good though.”
Below Deck airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
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Film releases in cinemas on 12 September
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Imrul Hassan thinks Bravo did him dirty after he was allegedly cut from several Summer House scenes during his one and only season on the show.
“There’s so much that gets filmed and it doesn’t make the edit because there’s so much that we’re filming throughout the season,” Imrul explained during the Friday, June 27, episode of the “Taylor Taylor Taylor Show” podcast.
The season 9 newcomer claimed, “But I’ve never seen — and I’ve talked to some of the people on the show as well — someone just getting edited out of a whole dinner scene.”
Imrul, who was dubbed “Orgy Beast” by his housemates because of his sexual exploits, noted that he “tried to be respectful to the show and the process” and didn’t think much of his edit while filming.
Shocking Reality TV Exits Over the Years
He pointed out that when he appeared on the season 9 reunion in May, he said, “I don’t think I got the worst edit.”
At the time, Imrul took responsibility for how he was portrayed on camera as well. “There was some fault on my own too. I wasn’t as engaging as I wanted to be and whatever,” he added. “Things that happened through the season.”
Once he watched the full season, however, Imrul felt different about his screen time, claiming he was cut entirely from scenes for no reason.
“To have seen that the last few episodes where they just shut me out — you can still see my shadow in some of them — you know and there’s obviously cast photos from the weekend where I’m clearly there, that felt so disrespectful,” Imrul confessed. “I don’t know if I can get over that. It’s definitely messed up.”
He revealed that during the aforementioned dinner scene he was especially hurt because he was “talking about my school that I was super excited about and they cut that out.” (Imrul founded an English school in his home village in Bangladesh last summer and had the “goal” of using the Summer House “platform” to talk about it.)
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While Imrul admitted he had “fun” shooting the show in summer 2024, he claimed Bravo never had a clear path for his story arc.
“It was also a weird season because they had such a strong season with the men the year before, obviously, I had to follow that. They weren’t quite sure what to do with me,” Imrul claimed on the podcast.
He alleged, “One of the calls I got from — the last calls I got from — the producers was, like, ‘Listen, we hate to call somebody part-time you know that’s but like we’re trying to figure out what to do with you.’”
Us Weekly has reached out to Bravo for comment.
Throughout season 9 of Summer House, newbie Imrul made a splash for bringing home different girls and never introducing them to his castmates. He was also called “Orgy Beast” because he told the crew about going to sex parties and hooking up with multiple women at one time.
As the season continued, Imrul did share a little about his upbringing and his family, but for the most part it was his sexual exploits that were front and center. During the season 9 reunion, which aired in May, he got real about his nickname and how his family perceived the title.
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“I definitely felt like I was pigeonholed a little, but I led with the sex party,” he said of his reputation. “I don’t feel like I’m an orgy beast. I think you have to do more than one [sex party] to be an orgy beast. I’m more of an orgy novice.”
Imrul revealed that his sister-in-law’s family is “religious,” and after seeing his sex life so prominent on the show, he was uninvited to his nephew’s birthday party.
The story took the rest of the cast by surprise, and they admitted they could have done better to ask him non-sex-related questions as well.
Imrul has since announced that he is not returning for a second season of the reality show. “I meant to share this last week, but with everything going on, the timing didn’t feel quite right. I’ve decided not to return for another season of Summer House — I know, shocking!” Imrul wrote via his Instagram Story on June 18. “It was an incredible opportunity, and I truly had a lot of fun.”
He didn’t appear to harbor hard feelings about his run, adding, “I won’t drag this out, but I want to say thank you for all your support — and for supporting my foundation as well. A special shoutout to my castmates for their generous donations and for helping spread the word. Overall, it was a really good experience. Would recommend.”
Imrul’s departure came after fellow season 9 newcomer Lexi Wood announced her exit and after seven-year veteran Paige DeSorbo revealed she would not be back for season 10.
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Orlando Bloom started his week with a motivational message following his split from Katy Perry.
“The important thing is to take that first step,” the actor, 48, wrote via his Instagram Story on Monday, June 30. “Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next.”
Bloom credited his musing as “daily encouragement” from Daisaku Ikeda, who was a Buddhist author.
Before sharing Ikeda’s quote, Bloom also posted another inspirational teaching from Buddha.
How Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom Are Coparenting After Their Split
“Each day is a new beginning. What we do today is what matters the most,” the quote read.
Bloom’s positive mantra comes nearly a week after Us Weekly confirmed he and Perry, 40, called off their engagement after nearly a decade together.
“Katy and Orlando have split but are amicable,” a source close to the former couple exclusively told Us at the time. “It’s not contentious at the moment. Katy is of course upset but is relieved to not have to go through another divorce, as that was the worst time in her life.”
Perry and Bloom dated off and on before getting engaged on Valentine’s Day 2019. The following year, the pair welcomed daughter Daisy Dove in August 2020. (Bloom is also father to 14-year-old son Flynn whom he shares with ex Miranda Kerr.)
According to the insider, Perry and Bloom’s split was “a long time coming” as things between them “have been tense for months.” Bloom and Perry had been apart since the pop star kicked off her Lifetimes tour earlier this year.
Perry has found solace in her work since the breakup, as she’s been “keeping busy” on tour. (The singer is currently in the middle of her tour dates in Australia.)
Bloom, for his part, was recently spotted in Venice, Italy to celebrate Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding over the weekend. (Perry is also good friends with Sánchez’ as she joined the journalist on their space expedition earlier this year.)
While Perry and Bloom have been living separate lives, the twosome have been in contact as they’re prioritizing their daughter’s needs.
“They are still very much in touch and coparenting Daisy together,” the source explained. “Orlando brought Daisy to meet Katy on tour before heading to the Bezos’ wedding. It’s not messy between them.”
The insider added that Bloom and Perry are not “making drastic changes for Daisy’s sake.”
Orlando Bloom Spotted for 1st Time in Venice After Katy Perry Split
“They will keep their lives in Montecito,” the source added. “They are prioritizing stability and consistency for Daisy.”
Before their split, Bloom spoke candidly about overcoming challenges with Perry over the years.
“I wouldn’t change it for anything, even when sometimes it feels like, ‘How do we do this?’” Bloom said on an April 2024 episode of Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast. “Because we’ve got these two giant careers and lives — and hers is even … it’s like a universe sometimes. But I think I just keep coming back to her and trying to hold her hand and walk her back to the sand pit and be like … we’re just gonna build a sandcastle.”
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Nikki Garcia briefly dipped her toe back into the dating pool after divorcing Artem Chigvintsev — but had a good reason for quickly hitting the pause button.
During the Monday, June 30, episode of their “The Nikki & Brie Show” podcast, Brie Garcia asked her twin sister, 41, and their guest, Charlotte Flair, “Are we dating?” since both women are recently divorced.
“Brie knows this, I did a few,” Nikki said. Brie, 41, chimed in, “Like, you did a few dates?” or, “You did a few men? What are we talking about?”
Nikki rolled her eyes and started to laugh, saying, “Yeah,” she’s been on dates since finalizing her divorce from Chigvintsev, 43, in November 2024. Nikki played coy about her sister’s second question, replying, “OK. Whatever you want to call it.”
Nikki Garcia Reveals Whether She Would Ever Get Married Again
Nikki, who shares 4-year-old son Matteo with Chigvintsev, explained that being a mom has slowed down her desire to date.
“At his age right now I get so much love that I realized this is all the love I need and want right now,” Nikki said. “So after having, like, a few dates and, you know ,[I] wasn’t crazy about [them] that I was like, ‘Ah I’m not even going to waste time and energy, like, I’m just too tired.’”
Flair (real name Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr), who finalized her divorce from Andrade El Idolo in October 2024, revealed that even though she doesn’t have kids she’s not interested in finding romance if the process includes using an app.
“I haven’t been on a dating app since my divorce was final,” she told Nikki and Brie. “I’d rather meet the old-fashioned way.”
Both Nikki and Flair confessed that they are happy with the “dating yourself” philosophy.
“You have to date yourself and you can’t love anything else in life till you love yourself first,” Nikki explained. “And you have to do the work on yourself.”
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Brie, who is married to Bryan Danielson, applauded both women, noting that their growth is evident.
“It’s always amazing to me when I see divorces happen and I see the people who glow. The people who seem happier, who are living their best life,” Brie shared. “You both are glowing, and I feel like you both are in your best eras. You guys both look incredible. I see the happiness. I feel it.”
Despite being on board with Nikki and Flair’s single-life eras, Nikki said Brie is always “pushing me more” to date again.
Brie noted that since Nikki and Flair, 39, were recently in New York City for Fanatics Fest they had to have seen handsome men that caught their attention.
“Don’t get me wrong, there were so many good-looking men there,” Nikki said, while Flair played coy about whether anyone piqued her interest.
Nikki met Chigvintsev while partnering on Dancing With the Stars and they began dating in early 2019. The pair secretly got engaged that November and welcomed Matteo in July 2020. Nikki married Chigvintsev in August 2022.
Nikki Garcia and Artem Chigvintsev’s Relationship Timeline
Us Weekly confirmed in September 2024 that Nikki filed for divorce after Chigvintsev was arrested for alleged domestic violence that month. The charges against Chigvintsev were later dropped and he and Nikki finalized their divorce two months later.
Flair, for her part, has been married three times. She and Riki Johnson were married from 2010 to 2013, while the female wrestler was married to Thomas Latimer from 2013 to 2015. Flair began dating wrestler El Idolo (real name Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza) in 2019 and they were engaged the following year.
Flair wed El Idolo in May 2022 and two years later she filed for divorce in June 2024. The divorce was finalized in October of that year.
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