‘Below Deck Med’ Cast Reacts to Luke Brumer’s Shocking Exit

Luke Brumer joined Below Deck Mediterranean as a deckhand for the show’s 11th season, but only made it through eight episodes before announcing to Captain Sandy Yawn that he was quitting.

“Knowing when to leave is something that I’m getting better at practicing,” Luke admitted. “By me leaving the boat, I’m choosing the harder route, and I think Captain Sandy appreciates that.”

Luke’s exit came amid drama with bosun Nathan Gallagher. In the July 13 episode, Joe Bradley told Nathan that Luke had ejaculated on Nathan’s sheets while hooking up with Gen Lillie, then let him sleep on them for three days without coming clean. Luke also found himself in the middle of a love triangle with Gen and Joy Lefaucheur, who both worked on the boat.

“The last couple of days have been particularly tough for me,” Luke told Captain Sandy. “I feel like me being on the team right now is causing a bit of disruption. I just don’t want any more tension. It’s breaking the flow. I think the best thing for me is to leave.”

Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

Sandy reacted to the decision in the episode, noting that she “respects” his choice to leave. “It actually helps everything that I was going through mentally trying to figure out how to handle this,” she explained. “I think it’s the right choice, and I’m grateful he’s doing this.”

Meanwhile, Nathan told producers, “I can’t say that I’m upset.” He elaborated on his feelings after the episode aired, writing on his Instagram Story, “Luke made a mistake. What happened in our cabin, in our space, wasn’t okay. It crossed a line, and there were consequences. He decided the best thing was to leave the boat because of it.”

Fred Jagueneau/Bravo

He continued, “But I also got to know Luke as a deckhand. I respected his work ethic, the respect he showed for me, and his willingness to learn every single day. I trusted him on deck, and that doesn’t disappear because of one bad decision. One of the things I looked forward to this season was going through the season with this guy. On and off camera we had some really good life chats. As bosun on the show, I don’t get to choose my deckhands, but if I were to decide who, I’d [have] had Luke on the show and I’d have him again on another boat away from the show.” Nathan also urged fans to stop bullying Luke on social media.

Meanwhile, Joe reacted to Luke’s exit by telling producers, “I really like Luke. We can work well together. But I’ve told you before, I’ll tell you again: Love triangles never f**king work. Ever. Such a shame that it fell apart in such an astronomical way.”

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Gen told TV Insider that she blocked Luke’s number and that he blocked her on Instagram. She also theorized in an episode with Bravo’s Daily Dish that Luke was trying to “save face” by quitting before Captain Sandy could fire him.

Joy said during the episode, “Even everything that happened, I’ve liked this guy since the beginning. I’m going to miss him, even though he screwed up a lot.”

Below Deck Mediterranean, Season 11, Mondays, 8/7c, Bravo