A former cast member of the Bravo reality TV series Below Deck has been arrested in Turkey over a fight that ended in the death of a 17-year-old, according to local media reports and the Associated Press.
Joao Franco, 36, and his brother Carlos were allegedly involved in an altercation with shop owners in the resort city of Bodrum on Saturday, according to the AP, citing the Demiroren News Agency, a private Turkish outlet.
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The brothers were intoxicated, and an argument broke out when they started swearing, Demiroren reported. During the subsequent fight, teenager Muhammet Koyabakan fell and hit his head on the ground. He was taken to a hospital but died on Monday.
Footage of the the alleged fight, shared by NBC News, shows a man who appears to be Franco attempting to de-escalate an argument between a group of individuals before it turns into an all-out brawl. The video includes images of Franco and his brother in handcuffs, being escorted by police.
The brothers, who were raised in Zimbabwe, are Portuguese nationals and were detained and formally arrested after the incident.
News reports did not specify the charges against them. Demiroren reported the brothers told police they were attacked and acted in self-defence. They denied hitting Koyabakan.
Franco has appeared on multiple seasons of Below Deck Down Under and Below Deck Mediterranean as a yacht bosun, and on the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. He was at times portrayed as being hot-headed and was involved in several fights on the show.
Franco describes himself on social media as a “Superyacht Captain.”
Below Deck follows the lives of luxury yacht crew members as they serve and interact with one another and charter guests who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for multi-day excursions.
Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are among the billionaires who have visited Bodrum in recent years. The port city on the Aegean is a favoured spot for wealthy yacht owners.
A yacht featured on season 13 of Below Deck.
Stephanie Diani/Bravo via Getty Images
Franco’s arrest comes months after Nathan Gallagher, another Below Deck bosun, missed a court appearance related to assault charges brought in Australia, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest.
Gallagher was first arrested in December 2025 following an alleged domestic violence incident involving a 29-year-old woman that reportedly took place on Dec. 27 at a Sydney apartment complex.
Rolling Stone reported that a local court found that Gallagher suffocated and choked his former partner, Gael Cameron, at their Australian home in December last year.
“Gallagher used one hand to cover the mouth and nose of Ms Cameron,” a document submitted by police stated, as viewed by Rolling Stone. “
“Ms Cameron has tried to pull away, however Gallagher persisted and continued to cover her mouth, causing the victim to be unable to breathe at certain times.”
He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentionally choking a person without consent and common assault.
A month before he failed to attend court, Gallagher addressed the reports of his charges in a statement to Rolling Stone, saying, “I don’t believe the public has heard the full story surrounding what happened.”
Cameron and Gallagher met on Season 9 of Below Deck Mediterranean. They have a son, Kayden, born in June 2025.
— With files from the Associated Press and Global News’ Katie Scott
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