The season 3 cast member claims producers steered him into a “romantic entanglement” with castmate Raquel “Rocky” Dakota.

Below Deck alum Emile Kotze sues NBCUniversal over ‘hostile work environment rife with sexual harassment’

The season 3 cast member claims producers steered him into a "romantic entanglement" with castmate Raquel "Rocky" Dakota.

By Kathleen Perricone

March 5, 2026 8:10 p.m. ET

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Emile Kotze appeared on season 3 of 'Below Deck' in 2015. Credit:

Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

A former *Below Deck** *star claims production was not above board during his time on the Bravo reality show.

Emile Kotze, a yacht deckhand who appeared on season 3, has filed a federal lawsuit against NBCUniversal (Bravo’s parent company) and the show’s various producers, claiming he was subjected to “a hostile work environment rife with sexual harassment, manipulation, and dangerous conditions — all engineered for television ratings.”

Specifically, Kotze claims *Below Deck* producers “began steering” him into a “romantic entanglement” with his castmate Raquel “Rocky” Dakota despite the fact he “expressed hesitance.”

Emile Kotze claims he was coerced into flirting with cast mate Raquel 'Rocky' Dakota (right).

Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

“They orchestrated situations: arranging for Plaintiff and Rocky to work together often, scheduling them alone on night shifts,” reads the amended complaint, which Kotze filed in New York in October 2025.

Additionally, he alleges producers “plied” him with alcohol to encourage him to make a move on Dakota.

“On one occasion, [a producer] literally told Plaintiff a line to use on Rocky while cameras rolled — a cheesy pickup line that Plaintiff normally would never say.”

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According to Kotze, the situation continued on dry land.

“After filming, Defendants defamed Plaintiff by deceptively editing footage to portray him in a false and damaging light, misappropriated his likeness for continued commercial gain without consent, and engaged in a cover-up and retaliation campaign to silence and discredit him when he sought redress.”

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Kotze is reportedly seeking between $633 million and $850 million in damages. In his complaint, he estimates $123 million in lost future earnings, as "his once-promising yachting career was destroyed." Additionally, he seeks "an amount not less than $10,000,000 for emotional harm alone." As far as punitive damages, Kotze suggests an award of $500 million to reflect NBCUniversal's wealth, which he argues is "worth tens of billions."

'Below Deck' season 3 cast: (l-r) Emil Kotze, Kate Chastain, Eddie Lucas, Captain Lee Rosbach, Amy Johnson, Leon Walker, Raquel "Rocky" Dakota, Connie Arias.

Virginia Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Kotze originally filed his lawsuit in October 2025 — a decade after he appeared on *Below Deck *— due to “new evidence and recent developments" related to his experience on the reality show.

His reasoning for the lawsuit, according to the complaint, is "to finally expose the truth, obtain justice for himself, and set a precedent that such exploitative conduct has legal consequences."

NBCUniversal declined to comment on the pending legal matter.

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