ISTANBUL (AP) — A participant in the U.S. reality TV show “Below Deck” has been arrested in Turkey over a fight in the resort city of Bodrum that left a 17-year-old dead, local media reported Thursday.
Joao Franco, 36, and his brother Carlos allegedly became involved in an altercation with shopkeepers in Bodrum last Saturday evening, according to the private Demiroren News Agency.
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Franco, whom the agency identified as a yacht captain, appeared in the Bravo channel’s “Below Deck Down Under” and “Below Deck Mediterranean” from 2018, as well as “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.”
“Below Deck” follows the lives of crew members aboard luxury yachts as they interact with each other and their guests.
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.
The Franco brothers, who are Portuguese nationals, were detained and later formally arrested.
News reports did not specify the charges against them, but Demiroren said they told police they were attacked and acted in self-defense. They denied hitting Koyabakan.
Bodrum, a port city on the Aegean Sea, is a favored spot for wealthy yacht owners. Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are among the billionaires who have visited in recent years.
