Kate Chastain Is Not Only a Chief Stew but a Philanthropist — Facts about the 'Below Deck' Star

In February 2020, Kate Chastain quit "Below Deck" after six seasons on the show. Find out more about the television personality who has a knack for philanthropy.

Florida native, Kate Chastain, is famous and beloved worldwide for her role as Chief stew on Bravo's television series, "Below Deck."

In 2020, many fans were surprised after she quit the show to pursue new frontiers. Besides her stint on the show, Chastain is a celebrated author, podcaster, radio show host, dog lover, and philanthropist.

Find out more about Chastain's time on "Below Deck," her personal life, controversies, and what she has been up to since leaving the show last year.

WHY DID CHASTAIN QUIT "BELOW DECK?"

For six seasons, Chastain held down the "Below Deck" show with the fans loving every moment of her presence on the luxury yacht.

However, that marriage came to an end in February 2020 when Chastain announced she was leaving the series after filming its seventh season.

In a cheeky statement that mimicked Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's exit from the royal family, Chastain explained her reasons for quitting the show. The statement read:

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, I have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new land based role."

Chastain further said she was stepping back on her role as a senior member of the "Below Deck" family. However, she added that she would work to become financially independent and continue to support Bravo head Andy Cohen fully.

WILL CHASTAIN EVER COME BACK

Since Chastain was a fans' favorite during her time on "Below Deck," many fans have wondered if she would ever consider coming back on the show.

During an interview with HollywoodLife in January, she was asked if anyone or anything could get her to come back to the show. In her reply, she said:

"If it was Captain Lee and it was a one charter only emergency situation, I'd say yes, but otherwise, I think I'd prefer to go back to the yachting world as a charting guest."

Chastain also welcomed the possibility of being on the show as a guest for a future season as she had missed traveling so much and was ready for it.

Despite quitting "Below Deck," Chastain has not entirely washed her hands off the franchise. She narrates "Below Deck: Mediterranean," a spin-off series from the long-running franchise.

She also joined the cast of "Below Deck Galley Talk," where she watches and discusses all the drama that unfolds on the series' current episodes.

While speaking with HollywoodLife, she said "Galley Talk" had been a treat to do because it is the best of both worlds as she gets to watch her friends and former crew members while sitting on the couch and sharing her opinion.

CHASTAINS' FRIENDSHIPS ON THE SHOW

Chastain made many friends while she was a crew member of the luxury yacht on "Below Deck." She had a very good friendship with the yacht's head, Captain Lee Rosbach, who described her as one of his best friends and always stood by her.

In 2019, Chastain and Rosbach hosted a "Below Deck" fan cruise vacation and were asked multiple questions by fans who joined them.

In the sixth season of "Below Deck," Chastain seemed to strike up a close friendship with one of her crew members, Josiah Carter, that they seemed to have been friends forever.

She dished on her friendship with him during the season's After Show. She said she did not know why people were surprised about their friendship and described him as the perfect best friend while extolling his virtues.

However, Chastain and Carter seemingly drifted apart after the sixth season. She provided an update on their friendship while speaking to Cohen on a July 2019 episode of on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."

Then, she said it had been a while since she spoke with Carter and added that she missed him. She attributed their drifting apart to their different time zones and admitted that working together on the yacht made them close.

Chastain was also part of the most unexpected "Below Deck" friendship ever during her time on the series. She, Courtney Skippon, and Rhylee Gerber formed a trio of pals.

In a reported interview, she described their friendship as funny and said she was the happy medium between Skippon and Gerber, who were two opposites.

On May 16, Chastain shared a picture on her Instagram page showing her, her dog Halo, Captain Rosbach, and other Valor crew members as they posed for a snap, which she captioned, "Getting the band back together 🎉."

Many fans commented on the post and pleaded with Chastain to return to the show as they have missed her presence. Time will tell if she accedes to their wishes.

LIFE AFTER "BELOW DECK"

There is no denying that Chastain enjoys yachting. However, quitting "Below Deck" meant that she was no longer fully committed to it. So, what does she do to keep herself busy?

While she was on the show, Chastain opened up about her activities when she is not yachting. She said she loves taking off to an exotic destination for six weeks. She also expressed her love for land-based life before adding:

"A dream of mine has long been to run a vintage store, so I'm very excited to announce that I've just opened an upscale resale store where all proceeds go to the nonprofit I work with...."

Genesis House provides emergency and transitional housing to homeless women and children and has been doing so for over four decades.

Chastain also produces and co-hosts Bravo's "Chat Room," where she joins "Summer House's" Hannah Berner, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams, and "Real Housewives of Potomac's" Gizelle Bryant to discuss the latest happenings in pop culture, Bravo shows, and the world.

IS CHASTAIN IN A RELATIONSHIP?

In 2016, "Kate Chastain Arrest" dominated multiple news outlets' headlines after she was arrested on domestic violence charges. Chastain's arrest came after a fight with then-Kate Chastain's girlfriend, Ro Hernandez.

In the aftermath of the Kate Chastain-Ro Hernandez fight, Chastain spoke to People and opened up about the lessons she learned from the situation.

She said it helped her learn the value of privacy and revealed she was no longer on speaking terms with her ex. She also said she was more cautious about who she dates because people can appear one way and then become totally different.

In July 2020, she updated on her love life during an appearance on "The Daily Dish Podcast." She revealed she dated a restauranteur but called it quits with him because he wanted to visit her and the beach after telling her he thought he had COVID.

Since then, Chastain has not revealed any dating news. For now, she continues to enjoy her life and do what she does best, and her fans continue to wish her all the best both now and in the future.