Below Deck: Why Elizabeth Labeled Captain Lee ‘Miserable & Judgmental’

Elizabeth Frankini from Below Deck was sad to hear Captain Lee wouldn’t give her another chance to work on one of his boats. Now, she is not holding back on what she thinks of the seasoned captain.

On last Monday’s episode of the Bravo reality series, Elizabeth was fired by the chief stewardess, Francesca Rubi. Even though Elizabeth was completely shocked by the news, fans saw this decision coming for some time. Not only has she been at odds with Francesca all season, but she has also made several mistakes on the boat during the crew’s various charters. Elizabeth recognizes the mistakes she made, but wants the viewers to understand that performing these intense duties can be difficult while also having a film crew around you 24/7.

During a recent interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Elizabeth revealed she was surprised by Captain Lee’s tweet claiming he wouldn’t want to work with her again. The 30-year-old never suspected he was displeased with her work until she read what Lee had to say about her in his blogs. The tweet is what sent her over the edge, leaving her no choice but to express her true thoughts on her former Captain. “I just want to say that Captain Lee, he’s miserable and judgmental,” she told the publication. “And after living through this experience like I wouldn’t want to work with him again either. He’s completely checked out, which is understandable.” Lee returned to yachting just months after his son died of an accidental drug overdose. Cameras even captured him in a few private moments where he broke down. Elizabeth completely understands the pain Captain Lee must be feeling from his loss, but does wish he knew how poorly she was treated by Francesca.

Elizabeth believes Lee did not know what was happening on the yacht, which allowed Francesca to be “a terrible chief stew.” She added that Lee was “basically unchecked the entire season and then relies on watching the edited show to form his final opinion … And behind the scenes, I was being bullied and treated way worse than I think the camera showed.” Not only was she shocked by the firing, but Elizabeth was also surprised Captain Lee did not speak to her directly. “I thought we had a great relationship. I wouldn’t think he’d do that either and I thought he had my back,” she continued. “As a captain, I thought he recognized my dedication and my abilities as a stewardess.”

Even though Elizabeth experienced some rough waters with Captain Lee and Francesca, she is glad for the friendships she made with stewardess Izzy Wouters and chef Rachel Hargrove. She is grateful for the ladies’ support, especially now since she has been getting much more scrutiny from fans. Since getting fired from Below Deck, Elizabeth still works in yachting and has been freelancing in Florida during the pandemic. It is unclear if she will be working with Captain Lee again for season nine, but according to him, that will not be happening any time soon.

Below Deck airs Mondays at 9 pm EST on Bravo.

Sources: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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