Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
previous below deck Star Emil Kotze Sued NBCUniversal for $850 million over what he described as a “coordinated campaign of exploitation, harassment and deception” during his time on the show.
Kotze, who appeared in Season 3 bravo serieswho was 23 at the time, was cast as a sailor on a reality show. Kotze, 34, has been embroiled in legal battles with Bravo’s parent network since June 2025. US Weekly Can confirm.
Coates claimed in the original lawsuit that he “sexual harassment”, he was manipulated and subjected to degrading treatment during and after filming the show in 2015.
The yacht filed its first amended complaint on June 13, 2025, less than two weeks after he filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.
In October 2025, Kotze filed a second amended complaint, claiming that after he was cast below deck, Producers decided to have him “act” alongside female cast members Raquel “Rocky” Dakota.
One executive allegedly pointed to Kotze’s South African background and possible “traditional values” as helping the storyline.
“We can have some fish-out-of-water tension with him,” the executive allegedly said, according to court documents. “And, he’s not a union or anything, we can put more pressure on him.”
The Bottom Series has seen its fair share of chaos over the years, but there have been some moments that stood out more than anything else. Season 7 of the Bravo show saw a horrific confrontation between head stew Kate Chastain and bosun Ashton Pienaar, who got drunk after a night out. Ashton finally punches (…)
Coates further claimed that after filming began, the production crew “loaded” him with alcohol during his breaks and “encouraged him to ‘make a move’ on Dakota,” even though he was allegedly hesitant to pursue a romantic relationship with Dakota.
Kotze claims to be in the cast The night after charter flightProducers encourage them to take photos and play drinking games. He claimed that on one such night, Dakota, “in a distraught emotional state”, climbed the yacht’s mast and jumped into the sea.
Coates claimed in the filing that he was “traumatized by witnessing the scene because he feared for Loki’s life.” He claimed that the production team “viewed it as a dramatic plot twist—the cameras kept rolling, and they later used the footage for entertainment.”
“After filming concluded, Defendants defamed Plaintiff by deceptively editing footage to portray him in a false and damaging light, misappropriated his likeness without consent for ongoing commercial gain, and engaged in a cover-up and retaliatory campaign to silence and discredit him when he sought compensation,” the lawsuit states. Cortez’s alleged abuse continued after filming ended, the lawsuit says.
NBCUniversal declined to comment.
Kotze is seeking $633 million to $850 million in damages, claiming in the lawsuit $123 million in lost future earnings as a result of his “once-promising yachting career being ruined.”
It’s not always a perfect fit. The Below Deck series has shocked viewers over the years with dramatic exits, including firings and resignations. Mathew Shea left the ship multiple times during season six, setting a record for the Below Deck Mediterranean restaurant. The chef initially left the ship because of a knee injury that required medical attention. (…)
He said he was seeking “not less than $10 million” in emotional distress damages and proposed $500 million in punitive damages.
Kotze also asked the court to require the network to remove or delete any “intimate images or photos” of him from all platforms and to stop future allocation or airing a Season 3 episode that “contains defamatory or unauthorized content.”
If the series goes ahead, Coates wants the network to add a disclaimer to the show “clarifying that some of the plaintiff’s images have been manipulated.”
Meanwhile, NBC filed a motion to dismiss the first amended complaint in October 2025, but a judge denied the motion on January 3, people reported.
