Kyle Viljoen-Riley reveals where he stands with his Below Deck costars & teases a Bravo return
Kyle Viljoen-Riley reveals where he stands with his Below Deck costars & teases a Bravo return
The yachting world isn’t known to be very LGBTQ+ friendly, but Below Deck has done an incredible job at showing gay people thrive in a very heteronormative industry.
For two seasons, Kyle Viljoen-Riley starred on Below Deck Mediterranean and certainly stirred up a ton of controversy by butting heads with quite a few of his crew members.
“Individuals in the LGBTQ+ community do not go into yachting because we are not protected. I wanted to break that stigma. The inclusion is still not there. Whatever people saw was authentically me. Whether you liked it or you disliked it, I have nothing to hide,” Viljoen-Riley tells PRIDE.
Even though he served as the ultimate “villain,” trolls online took things too far by attacking Viljoen-Riley nonstop on social media.
The star’s mental health declined quite a bit as the show aired and it even made him question if he’d want to return to reality TV.
“I find it very difficult to go back and say ‘do I want to do another season of this?’ It was mentally destructive… immensely. Where do we draw the line with abuse and cyberbullying? Am I the drama? Yes I am, so I own that, but it’s part of reality TV. Can you imagine everything being so monotone? What are we watching for?”
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When Viljoen-Riley tried working in the yachting world, the reality personality was also dealing with a ton of problems at home including immigration difficulties, financial struggles, and health problems. He was even battling a rare skin disorder.
“There’s more layers to this onion… not just what you see. I think that’s what’s important. Try and understand the character. Try and understand who is behind it and maybe even stick around long enough to understand how this person became this person. That’s what’s important… the journey, not the end result.”
Below Deck served as a very rough time in Viljoen-Riley’s life, but the star is learning from his mistakes. He’s been able to reconcile with many of his costars including Natalya, Max, and Lara.
“The fact that we had these apologies exchanged was absolutely sentimental. Unfortunately, Tumi… I do not have time for her. I will not have time for her. It was very unfortunate how our friendship has literally dissipated into nothing. Miss thing wanted some clout on Twitter and ran my name to filth. That type of sneaky behavior I don’t deal well with.”
The yachtie life may not be for Viljoen-Riley, but could reality TV be completely out of the question? It looks like a Bravo comeback is actually in the works.
“I have taken the liberty of saying goodbye to Below Deck. I have hung up my anchor and I have laid down some new roots. When it comes to seeing me on the future on Bravo? Absolutely yes. I’m not going to say where. I’m not going to say when, but I’m going to say soon. I can’t wait to see you guys more on Bravo soon.”
Here’s a potential storyline spoiler… the reality star is hoping to become a father in the near future!
“I knew I would be such a fantastic father figure. I look forward to becoming a father. I do know I’m such a caring person and I just want to put that in my little human.”
Fans can keep up with Kyle Viljoen-Riley on his Instagram page. To see the full interview, check out the video below.
Kyle Viljoen-Riley Teases a Bravo Comeback & Reveals Where He Stands With His ‘Below Deck’ Costarsyoutu.be
