Below Deck star Eddie Lucas suggested that Captain Lee should fire Heather Chase from the cast after she said a racial slur, it has been claimed.
The chief stewardess was forced to apologise for using the N-word in the most recent episode of season nine, which aired last week.
Heather was seen repeating the racial slur after it was first used by Black co-star Rayna Lindsey during a cast night out – and while the deckhand ignored it at the time, she later pulled her up on the comment when they returned to the boat.
Rayna then took her frustrations to first officer Eddie Lucas, who appeared to brush her off.
However, he has now insisted that the scenes were edited, and that they had a ‘really good conversation’ about the incident.
In a new chat on YourEncore – via Showbiz CheatSheet – he claimed that he recommended for the chief stew to be fired over the comments, as he didn’t want Rayna’s time on board to be impacted.
Teasing what is to come in future episodes, the publication reports he said: ‘As time goes by, I do have conversations with Captain Lee about it. I did recommend to Captain Lee to fire Heather. And if that makes it on the show – I don’t know.’
Reminiscing on the scenes, Eddie reportedly said he should have insisted they took things further immediately, and wishes he ‘understood’ Rayna’s ordeal better.
‘I said to her, call her out. Call her out. Because what Heather said was not okay,’ he continued. ‘Not okay at all. And Rayna wanted to deal with that herself. And I said, “OK, deal with it yourself. Do it in your own time. But don’t let this affect you and I. Or you and Captain Lee”.
‘It was actually a really good conversation that we were having. And it’s just gotten spun into something different. But in no way would I ever brush racism under the rug. I am not okay with it in any way, shape, or form.’
In last week’s episode, Rayna was heard saying the phrase, ‘this n***a,’ as she left a bathroom on a cast night out, with Heather repeating the comment while they walked together.
The deckhand initially laughed it off but decided to flag that she shouldn’t use slurs when Heather rapped to a song with Jake Foulger in the crew mess, later in the night.
Believing that her colleague had repeated the term for a second time, she warned: ‘You cannot say [N-word], you’re white as f**k. That’s cancel culture, you better be careful with certain words.’
The head of the interior crew appeared stunned and asked: ‘Did I say it? I didn’t think I said it, I’m sorry.’
‘I like you but you gotta be careful. You know how people are,’ Rayna replied. ‘2021 is… it’s not 2002 anymore. I still love you, I’m telling you just be careful.’
To which Heather added: ‘I can respect that, thank you.’
Following the scenes airing, she issued an apology on Instagram, which read: ‘I am sorry for the hurt my ignorance caused Rayna in tonight’s episode.
‘While I apologised to Rayna throughout the season, I cannot express enough how truly remorseful I am. Part of my responsibility as Chief Stewardess is to provide a welcoming, safe environment for the crew and I fell short.’
She added: ‘Over the past nine months since this episode was filmed, I have learned how my words and actions can affect others and I vow to do better in the future.’
It’s not known whether the incident will be fully addressed by Below Deck bosses or Captain Lee in the next episode, which airs in the US today.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Bravo and Below Deck for a comment.
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