Below Deck star Emile Kotze sues NBC for $850m over alleged sexual harassment as network denies claims

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Last year, Emile Kotze, who previously appeared on the show Below Deck, sued NBCUniversal for $850 million, claiming he was harassed and his reputation was damaged.

Court filings show that Emile Kotze claims he was tricked into appearing on Season 3 of Below Deck. He alleges he was told he was participating in a documentary, but that wasn’t the real reason he was there.

Kotze experienced sexual harassment, damage to her reputation, unfair treatment at work, and negative consequences for speaking out, alongside violations of maritime law. Meanwhile, the creators of the ‘Below Deck’ series—a company now worth over $150 billion—made over $500 million from the show and continue to benefit from these unlawful practices.

According to legal documents, Kotze claims the show’s producers depicted him as both immature and overly sexual, which he believes has severely damaged his reputation and career.

NBCUniversal denies the charges and maintains that the claims should be dismissed. 

Oh my god, I’ve been following this forever! So, apparently, this guy, Kotze, signed on as a deckhand for Season 3 back in 2015 – he was only 23! He thought he was joining a real documentary, something genuine, but the papers say it quickly turned into this crazy, scandalous reality TV mess. Can you believe it? He totally signed up for one thing and got something completely different!

Kotze claims in his lawsuit that the show’s producers fabricated a romantic connection between him and Raquel ‘Rocky’ Dakota to attract more viewers.

The lawsuit also alleges that producers pushed contestants to drink excessively, created environments with sexual tension, and planned embarrassing jokes – all to create more conflict for the show.

Kotze claims the show’s producers manipulated the footage to portray him unfairly as someone who was immature, unskilled, and made unwanted sexual advances.

Kotze claims this depiction resulted in him being unable to find work in the yachting industry.

The lawsuit details the significant emotional distress Kotze supposedly experienced, stating he now struggles with PTSD, anxiety, and depression because of the show’s effects on his life.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following this case closely, and from what NBCUniversal has shared in court documents, they’re strongly disputing many of the claims being made. They’re essentially saying that some of the issues were raised too late to be addressed legally, and that there isn’t enough concrete proof to back up a lot of the allegations. It’s a pretty standard legal tactic, but it’s definitely a key part of their defense.

The defendant argues that the plaintiff’s claims have no legal basis and should be dismissed. They contend the claims are too late, don’t present a valid case, and improperly attempt to limit the defendants’ First Amendment right to express themselves creatively, including choices about casting and how their work is presented.

The case remains active, with a judge denying a motion to dismiss on January 3 2026. 

Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Kotze and NBCUniversal for comment.

After his time on Below Deck, Kotze appeared to pursue several different professional paths. 

According to posts shared on his Instagram account, he worked for a period as a travel agent.

In a social media post, Kotze was shown at an event hosted by the African Innovation & Entrepreneur Centre, seemingly as a representative of TRN Global.

Kotze has also indicated on social media that he previously explored acting.

Born and raised in South Africa, Kotze decided to leave his hometown at age 20, hoping to pursue bigger opportunities. According to his Bravo biography, he left with just a newly obtained boating license and a lot of ambition.

He grew up always near the water, enjoying activities like sailing, lobster fishing, and surfing, but he never thought about turning those passions into a job.

According to Bravo’s website, Kotze initially came to the United States to conduct sales research for his father’s company. However, he met a yacht captain who showed him a different path – the opportunity to work and live on yachts.

According to his biography, he then worked as a deckhand on several ships, traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and focused on providing excellent service to passengers.

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2026-03-06 00:19