“Margot Sisson was not unconscious”: Below Deck Down Under fired cast member Laura Bileskalne blames production for scandal 

The latest episodes of Below Deck Down Under season 2 have been marred by a s*xual misconduct scandal that has sent shockwaves around the world of reality TV.

Disclaimer: This article deals with mature themes. Readers' discretion is advised.

Episode 6 of season 2, which aired on Monday, August 7, 2023, initially brought forth the disturbing incidents that eventually led to firings from the show. Cast member Luke Jones was accused of having s*xually assaulted fellow cast member Margot Sisson, who was said to be unconscious during the incident. Jones was eventually fired from the set, and the controversy seemed to have ended.

However, episode 7 saw Laura Bileskalne make some controversial claims. She defended Luke Jones, saying:

"Margot Sisson was not unconscious, you can see in the video that she is talking to him. 'He asked her, "are you feeling okay" and she said yes."

She also claimed that the accusations were due to a simple misunderstanding. Laura ended up following Luke Jones out of the show.

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Below Deck's Aesha Scott hits back at accusations towards Luke Jones and Laura Bileskalne

What exactly did Laura say about the Below Deck incident?

Initially, Laura’s reaction to Luke’s firing was met with chagrin by other cast members of Below Deck. She claimed that Luke was a “s*xual person” and was probably just joking.

Laura wanted the show to give him another chance and claimed that Margot was not sleeping when the incident took place. During her appearance on the Kyle and Jackie O Show, she claimed:

"I was fired because I stood up for Luke. Margot Sisson was not unconscious, you can see in the video that she is talking to him. 'He asked her, "are you feeling okay" and she said yes. He went into the cabin to talk to her because they wanted to continue the party after the jacuzzi."

While initially, she came under scrutiny due to her defense of Luke, Laura was evicted due to her advances towards deckhand Adam Kodra. Laura's advances were said to be inappropriate and unwelcome.

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Aesha Scott's comments

Another Big Brother 25 contestant, Aesha Scott, recently spoke to LA Times about the entire controversy. She revealed that she had a conversation with Laura, urging her to "pull back a bit" and to understand the importance of respecting boundaries. Laura had apparently entered a bathtub that Adam was in and also entered his bed despite his refusal.

Regardless, Laura was eventually told by the host about the problems with her behavior. However, instead of being warned, she ended up following Luke Jones home. Aesha also revealed her own “spider sense” had been tingling the entire time, because she herself was a s*xual assault survivor.

Aesha recounted her efforts to ensure Margot's safety on the night of the incident on Below Deck Down Under, spending a significant amount of time in the latter's cabin. However, she was still shocked to see the production crew rush past after Luke had entered Margot's bunk. While the showrunners took the decision to fire both Laura and Luke, the former came under severe scrutiny due to her refusal to take the situation seriously.

Laura had dismissed Luke's actions as a joke, claiming that she knew him enough to know he wouldn’t engage in problematic behavior. While it is unclear whether there is any truth to her claims, her own actions were put under scrutiny not just by the showrunners, but by other members of Below Deck.