Why wasn’t Ashley Marti at the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Reunion?

The Below Deck: Sailing Yacht Season 3 Reunion was missing the biggest drama-instigating crew member that managed to last the entire season. Why didn’t third stew junior stew senior stew Ashley Marti participate in the Reunion?

“I just want to let all my supporters know that I chose not to participate in the reunion,” Ashley explained in a text graphic posted on Instagram. “At the time it was filmed I did not have the energy nor the desire to continue to be a puppet for Bravo, in addition to feeling like I would not be able to fully tell my side of the story due to editing.”

Ashley realized that her absence from the Reunion would leave a lot of fans disappointed, and a lot of questions unanswered. “I’m sorry for anyone who was looking forward to it, however I hope you will respect my decision.”

It’s clear that Ashley has some bitterness from her experience on Below Deck: Sailing Yacht, but the experience wasn’t all bad. “I appreciate all of the support I have received along the way, which is why I’m giving my followers a chance to ask me questions about the season which I will answer live,” Ashley continued. “You may ask your questions below and I will do my best to answer as many as possible.”

Ashley split up her live Q&A into two parts. The first part was on Instagram, and the second part was on Ashley’s OnlyFans. We tuned in for the first half and can provide a brief recap for you. I want to note that I am summarizing the questions and answers. Any direct quotes from Ashley are indicated with quotation marks.

Is Ashley in touch with anyone from the cast?
 
Ashley says she has spoken with most all of the cast members since filming ended, but she is particularly close with Barnaby and Kelsie. “There’s no bad blood between me and most of the cast,” Ashley insisted before pointing out that the last two episodes did a good job of showing how well she got along with the rest of the crew.

What were Ashley’s highest and lowest moments of the season?
 
Ashley says that her highest moment of the season was being promoted to senior stew and be able to help train Scarlett. Ashley’s lowest moment was #Spaghettigate.

In case you missed it, or if Ashley’s disturbing pasta consumption caused your brain to temporarily black out, she was particularly out of sorts after Scarlett joined the crew and immediately garnered Gary’s affection. Ashley got really drunk, really jealous, and really hungry. Here is the result:
 

 
In reference to the jealousy and booze, Ashley says “I definitely let that get the best of me and I think everybody saw that.”

Was the editing accurate?
 
“I did everything that you guys saw,” Ashley admits. She then reminds everyone that there are “hundreds and hundreds of hours” of footage filmed over six weeks that no one will ever see. With that much footage, producers can “cut and paste and create the story line they want you to see.”

One specific scene that Ashley wanted to clarify was the one in which it appeared as though she texted Daisy to talk about Gabriela potentially quitting. Ashley reveals that it was Daisy who instigated that conversation with her, and not the other way around.

In a very similar follow up question about whether or not the show is real or scripted, Ashley insists that “all the video footage you see is legit.” She adds that the talking heads segments are mostly legit. The interview sessions are extremely long and exhausting., and Ashley says that it can be so tiresome that its sometimes difficult not giving in to saying what producers want you to say.

Why didn’t Ashley do the Reunion?
 
When the Reunion was filmed, it was just after the scene in which Ashley seemed to sexually assault a very drunk Gary behind closed doors. Ashley says she was dealing with a lot of backlash and nastiness online, and she didn’t want to have to continue dealing with it during the Reunion.

Also, Ashley didn’t believe she would have much control of the narrative during the Reunion either. “I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to pick the questions,” she says. “It was going to be up to Bravo and up to Andy to decide, and that wouldn’t really allow me to tell my side of the story.”

Is Ashley Marti still in yachting?
 
“I am not in yachting any more,” Ashley states flatly. She adds that she is still open to potentially doing a charter now and then, but she just didn’t like the job. She admits that the “money was good” and it was great to see new places, but she simply doesn’t desire to do it any longer.

#BelowDeckSailing stew Ashley Marti has joined OnlyFans! But, is this her first foray into online adult entertainment? Check out the similarities between Ashley and cam girl jackie_xoxo1! 🤔 #BelowDeck #BDSY #BelowDeckSaillingYacht https://t.co/0st12Wpgeh pic.twitter.com/mTQgKPMOX1

— Starcasm (@starcasm) April 12, 2022

How much does Ashley Marti make on OnlyFans?
 
Ashley says that she makes “significantly more” on OnlyFans that she did during her time as a crew member on Parsifal III. She is pressed for more details about the actual amounts, but declines to give any more details.

The Gary and Ashley sex scene.
 
Ashley was asked numerous questions about the sex scene with Gary King, including why she was so aggressive with him from the very start of the charter season. “I really have no good answer for why I went so hard for Gary,” Ashley admits.

As far as the scene, Ashley reveals that it wasn’t their first roll in the hay. “We had hooked up a few times prior to that night,” she reveals. “We were both pretty much blacked out that night. I didn’t hold him down — nothing like that happened,” she adds. “I’m not going to apologize because I don’t believe I did anything wrong.”

Ashley may never apologize, but she says Gary has. “When that episode came out, he did text me and apologize for the hate that I was getting online,” Ashley says. That was the only time that Ashley has communicated with Gary since filming ended.

Ashley on Captain Glenn and Chef Marco.
 
“I would absolutely work for Glenn again,” Ashley says. “He is definitely the best captain I’ve ever had.”

What about Chef Marcos? Surely he wasn’t as amazing as it seemed on the show, right? “He really was the most amazing chef,” Ashley insists. “He got a good edit because he actually was amazing and deserved it.” Ashley says that she and Marcos had a great relationship throughout the season and that they continue to talk occasionally.

Does Ashley still eat grilled cheese?
 
Even more memorable (and perhaps traumatic) than Spaghettigate was Ashley’s drunken attempts to make grilled cheese sandwiches for herself and the rest of the crew.

Despite the galley catastrophe, Ashley says she “absolutely” still eats grilled cheese sandwiches. She also defends her inebriated chefegery. “You can’t tell me you don’t get drunk and eat like a maniac,” Ashley says to her viewers. “Yours is just not on camera.”

Will Ashley be back for a new season of Below Deck?
 
“Hell no. At this point absolutely not,” Ashley says. “I have no desire to go through what I’ve gone through again.” She says that the worst part wasn’t the day-to-day on the boat, but the interviews. She iterates the point that it can be grueling talking about the “same things over and over again.”

I will admit that by the end of the season I was quite fond of Ashley being part of the crew, and I’m a bit disappointed that she has apparently written off any chance of ever returning to any Below Deck show.

To honor Ashley’s time on our screens, I’ve put together a small gallery of her world famous grilled cheese sandwiches. Perhaps she should get up with Marcos and create an “Ashley’s Worst Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Ever” food truck? I would not be able to resits getting one!

Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com