Ex-Below Deck cast member Joao Franco arrested in Turkey after teen dies
Joao Franco, 36, and his brother Carlos were allegedly involved in an altercation with shop owners and 17-year-old in the resort city of Bodrum in Turkey.
Former cast member Joao Franco, 36, of Bravo reality TV show Below Deck has been arrested in Turkey following a fight that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old, according to local reports and the Associated Press. Franco and his brother Carlos were reportedly involved in an altercation with shop owners in the resort city of Bodrum on Saturday, according to the Demiroren News Agency, a Turkish outlet.
The brothers were intoxicated and began swearing, leading to the argument and subsequent fight, Demiroren reported. During the fight, teenager Muhammet Koyabakan fell and hit his head on the ground before dying on Monday. Footage showed Franco attempting to de-escalate the situation before it turned into a brawl, with images of him and his brother in handcuffs.
The brothers claimed they were attacked and acted in self-defense, denying any involvement in Koyabakan's death. Franco, raised in Zimbabwe and a Portuguese national, has appeared on several seasons of Below Deck Down Under, Below Deck Mediterranean, and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. He was described as hot-headed on the show and involved in multiple fights.
Franco describes himself on social media as a "Superyacht Captain." This arrest follows the case of Nathan Gallagher, another Below Deck bosun, who missed a court appearance for assault charges in Australia, leading to a warrant for his arrest.
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