Regular readers of Pontoonopedia will know how much I love the Below Deck TV series on Bravo. It never fails to brighten up my day, with Kate Chastain being one of my favorite stars from the show. Whatever you think of Kate, she sure adds a lot to the drama… and she’s not unused to drama in her private life too, having been arrested in 2016.
But why was Kate Chastain arrested? What did she do to deserve it, and how many times has she been arrested before?
I’ve got the answer to all of these questions and more with a breakdown on Kate Chastain’s arrest history…
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How many times has Kate Chastain been arrested?
Kate Chastain has been arrested once according to media reports. The arrest happened in June of 2016 at her apartment in Melbourne Beach, Florida. The Kate Chastain arrest was for alleged domestic violence towards her partner.
As far as I can tell, Kate Chastain has not been arrested any more times than this, with this being the only instance recorded in the national media.
What was Kate Chastain arrested for?
In 2016, Kate Chastain was arrested for allegedly abusing her partner at the time, Ricio Hernandez. The specifics around the arrest charge related to strangulation, battery, and biting.
Press reports at the time revealed that Kate Chastain has bitten her girlfriend on the arm and leg during an alcohol-fuelled argument after a night out. Chastain’s partner also told police that she had been held down on the floor and strangled, leading to breathing difficulties.
Kate Chastain’s girlfriend at the time also told police that she has been sat on, had her hair pulled, a hand placed over her mouth, and was threatened with being thrown out of the home.
From what I can gather, the arrest charge never resulted in court proceedings or was taken any further, and in fact, by 2017, the felony domestic violence charge had been downgraded to a misdemeanour.
You can actually see the moment of the Kate Chastain arrest in this YouTube video showing police body cam footage from Florida.
When was Kate Chastain arrested?
Kate Chastain was arrested on Monday the 13th of June 2016 at her Melbourne home in Florida, United States. Police bodycam footage obtained from the time show her reacting calmly to the arrest with no resistance.
What did Kate Chastain say about her arrest?
Kate Chastain has always remained dignified and matter of fact about the incident, choosing to only offer a few comments regarding her 2016 arrest.
She was quoted in the press at the time as saying:
“I’m a little more cautious about who I date because people can appear one way and then be totally different.”
This is clearly a veiled comment that you could interpret as placing the blame for the alleged domestic violence squarely at the door of her now ex-partner.
At the time of the arrest, she also sent this Tweet out:
Thank you for your support during this difficult & humiliating time. The truth will come out & I look forward to regaining peace in my life.
— Kate Chastain (@Kate_Chastain) June 15, 2016
The background to the arrest
Now we know how many times Kate Chastain has been and what the arrest was for, I wanted to delve a little deeper into the background of the incident.
As we all know, Kate Chastain stars as the popular chief stewardess on the Below Deck yachting TV series.
Initially not much was known about her love life, until she spoke in an interview with The Daily Dish on the Bravo Channel (read the full interview). The interview came off the back of Kate Chastain tweeting images of herself with a woman in January 2016 where she said:
“I think everybody’s just as surprised as I am by the photos. You know, I am currently dating a girl. She’s amazing. I never, ever imagined myself dating a girl. I never was attracted to girls. So, I’m a little caught off guard, but she’s just a really special person.”
Little did we know then that this new girlfriend was going to be involved in the arrest of Kate Chastain some 5 months later.
But there did appear to be some hints that there could be trouble in paradise in the months leading up to her arrest. In fact, in an interview with Starry Mag, Chastain made this rather telling statement when asked if she had any regrets.
“While I didn’t let my personal life get in the way of my job… I do wish that I had not given in so much to the demands of my significant other at the time to stay in such constant contact. It really added unnecessary stress to my already stressful life onboard… At the time I was just trying to keep the peace so I didn’t return home to anger, but I’ve since learned that significant others should only be supportive rather than temperamental and that sometimes keeping the peace is an unhealthy sacrifice.”
Read into that what you will, but it could possibly be an insight into the stress she was under before her arrest in June of 2016.
Other Below Deck cast arrests
So that’s what Kate Chastain was arrested for. Whilst she is very feisty on the show, it might come to surprise to you regarding these allegations.
What might also surprise you is that Chastain isn’t the only crew member from Below Deck on Bravo TV to have an arrest against their name…
- The arrest of Ross Inia from Below Deck: In December of 2018, Below Deck’s Ross Inia was arrested by police in West Palm Beach in Florida. Police cuffed him for battery and disorderly intoxication. By all accounts, he allegedly punched a police officer and threatened the cop’s family.
- The arrest of Caroline Bedol from Below Deck: In June of 2019, Below Deck’s Caroline Bedol was arrested in Danbury, Connecticut. The arrest was for larceny in the sixth degree. She had previously been in hot water with the law for skipping court dates regarding an allegation of her dog’s aggressive behavior.
The last word…
Whilst Bravo’s Below Deck TV series is still being commissioned I will aim to deliver the latest in gossip and news from this awesome TV show. If you like yachting and reality TV, please do keep on coming back for more news on Kate Chastain, whether she has been arrested again (I doubt she will!), whether she will return to the show, and news on any public slip ups from other stars of the show.
You might also like…
I mentioned earlier that I am a massive fan of Kate Chastain. I don’t care how many times she is arrested; she will always be a massive star to me. If like me you love the Below Deck TV series, you might also like these other blog posts I’ve written this year:
