If you’ve kept up with the revolving door of stews on Below Deck Sailing Yacht, you know some names just stick. Ashley Marti is definitely one of them. She wasn't just another face on Season 3 of the Parsifal III; she was essentially the season’s lightning rod. From the second she stepped onto the boat in Spain, there was this palpable energy that she wasn't there just to fold laundry and pour champagne. She wanted more. More rank, more attention, and specifically, more of First Mate Gary King.
Honestly, reality TV thrives on people who don't follow the rules. But with Ashley Marti Below Deck fans saw something that felt a bit more intense than the usual boatmance drama. It was messy. It was polarizing. And by the time the reunion rolled around, she was nowhere to be found, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and a very frustrated Andy Cohen behind.
The Hierarchy Headache and the Gabriela Feud
Most people remember the Gary drama, but the tension actually started with the work. When Chief Stew Daisy Kelliher assigned Gabriela Barragan as the second stew, Ashley didn't just take it lying down. She was vocal. Very vocal. She felt she deserved that second stew spot, despite being relatively new to the industry.
It wasn't just a professional disagreement. It turned into a season-long battle of passive-aggression. Ashley would make comments under her breath, ignore direct instructions, and even shared things Gabriela told her in confidence with the rest of the crew. It was a classic case of undermining.
Eventually, the pressure got to Gabriela, and she chose to leave the boat mid-season. While Gabriela had her own struggles, many viewers felt Ashley’s relentless campaign against her was the final straw. When Gabriela left, Ashley’s reaction wasn't sympathy. She was mostly just stoked to get the bottom bunk. That moment alone solidified her "villain" status for many watching at home.
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That Night in the Guest Cabin
We have to talk about the incident that launched a thousand Reddit threads. During a particularly heavy night of drinking, Ashley pursued a very intoxicated Gary King into a guest cabin. The cameras didn't show everything, but they showed enough to make the audience uncomfortable.
The next morning, Gary claimed he didn't remember much.
The backlash was immediate. Fans on social media used words like "predatory" and questioned the double standards of consent. If the roles were reversed, people argued, the conversation would have been much darker. Gary, for his part, later downplayed the situation on Watch What Happens Live, saying he didn't feel like a victim and that things were "blown out of proportion." Still, for the viewers, the image of Ashley’s persistence while Gary was clearly impaired left a lasting, sour taste.
Why She Skipped the Reunion
When the Season 3 reunion aired in June 2022, Ashley’s screen was empty. It’s a "cardinal sin" in the Bravo world. If you take the paycheck, you show up for the grilling. But Ashley decided she was done.
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She later took to Instagram to explain herself. She claimed she didn't want to be a "puppet for Bravo" anymore. She also felt the editing had been so skewed against her that she wouldn't be able to tell her side of the story fairly. Captain Glenn Shephard didn't seem too bothered by her absence; he actually stated during the reunion that he wouldn't work with her again. Daisy was more annoyed, pointing out that everyone else managed to find the time to show up despite their busy schedules.
Life After the White Uniform
So, where is she now? She basically traded the yachting life for the influencer life. Ashley was very open about the fact that her pay on Below Deck was, in her words, "inadequate." She claimed she made more money in a few hours on OnlyFans than she did during the entire six weeks of filming the show.
She’s lean-in hard on the adult content creator path, but that’s not her only pivot. If you look at her social media these days, she’s heavily into wildlife photography and African safaris. She even started a page called @bush.bound. babe. It’s a weirdly wholesome pivot from the chaotic energy she brought to the Parsifal III, but she seems genuinely passionate about it. She’s traveled to Tanzania, Portugal, and Ireland, mostly focusing on bikini shots and high-end travel.
The Reality of the Reality Star Pay
One thing Ashley did that actually resonated with some other crew members was speaking out about the money. Reality TV stars, especially on first-year contracts, often make surprisingly little compared to the drama they provide. Ashley’s decision to ditch the franchise for OnlyFans was a business move.
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She realized the "villain" edit was a permanent brand, so she might as well monetize it on her own terms rather than letting a network do it. It’s a cynical way to look at fame, but in 2026, it’s a standard play for reality survivors.
What We Can Learn From the Ashley Marti Era
Looking back at Ashley Marti Below Deck history, there are a few takeaways for anyone obsessed with the show:
- The Edit vs. Reality: While Ashley blamed the edit, her castmates generally backed up what we saw. Editing can change the timing of a comment, but it can't invent a person’s personality from scratch.
- Consent Matters: The Season 3 controversy forced a much-needed conversation about how consent is handled on reality TV when alcohol is involved.
- Yachting is a Small World: If you burn bridges with a Captain like Glenn, you’re basically done in the high-end charter world. Ashley seems okay with that, but it’s a warning to future greenies.
- The Pivot is Real: You don't have to stay a yachtie. Ashley used the platform to build a following of over 100k people, which she now uses to fund a lifestyle of international travel and photography.
Ashley Marti was never going to be the "sweetheart" of the show. She knew it, we knew it, and the crew certainly knew it. Whether you found her "cringe" or just another person trying to make it in a tough industry, she remains one of the most talked-about stews in the show's history.
If you're curious about where the rest of the Season 3 crew landed, you should check out what Gary and Daisy are up to now. Their relationship took even more turns after Ashley left the picture, proving that the drama on the Parsifal III never really stays on the boat.