Ex-Below Deck Deckhand Sues NBCUniversal for $850M

0:00Reporting from the Daily News Now, I'm Corey with the latest entertainment headlines. Emil Cotsay, a former deckhand on Below Deck Season 3, filed an $850 million federal lawsuit against NBC Universal last year. He claims the producers tricked him into appearing on the show by promising a simple documentary format back in 2015 when he was 23 years old. Instead, he says they subjected him to sexual harassment, defamation, workplace discrimination, and other violations while raking in huge profits from the series. Cotsay alleges the team cooked up a fake romance with cast-made Rocky Dakota to spike ratings, pushed heavy drinking, and staged awkward pranks for drama. They also edited footage to paint him as immature, incompetent, and overly aggressive, which he says wrecked his reputation in the yachting world. The fallout hit Cotsay Hard, leading to blacklisting from jobs, plus ongoing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.

1:03From a South African roots, where he grew up around water and sailing, he had chased big dreams on yachts worldwide before joining the show. NBC Universal fired back, denying everything, and arguing the claims are too old under time limits, and protected by free speech rights over creative. Choices like editing, they pushed to toss the case out. A judge shot down that motion to dismiss on January 3rd, 2026, so the lawsuit is moving forward. Cotsay has since tried travel agent work, events, and even acting, but the battle continues. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor, a pillow that plays your podcast, music, or white noise privately, no earbuds required. S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com