“Below Deck Mediterranean” star João Franco was arrested following a brawl.(Greg Endries/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
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Former reality star João Franco and his brother were arrested in Turkey following a fistfight outside a clothing store that left a 17-year-old dead.
In CCTV video obtained by Page Six, the former “Below Deck” star and his brother, Carlos Franco, can be seen leaving the store in the Bodrum district of Muğla on Nov. 7, with an employee following closely behind them.
Carlos appears to throw the first punch, after which more employees rush out of the store.
At first, João is seen seemingly trying to de-escalate the situation, often placing himself between his brother and the store employees, before appearing to get involved and throw punches himself.
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João Franco and his brother were arrested in Turkey following a fight that resulted in the death of a teenager.(Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
The fight escalated to the point that one of the men appeared to grab a nearby stool, seemingly to throw it at Carlos and João.
The Associated Press, citing Demiroren News Agency, reported that 17-year-old Muhammet Koyabakan fell as the fight went on and hit his head on the ground. Koyabakan later died in the hospital.
João seemingly tried to de-escalate the situation several times.(Mark Rogers/Bravo
João and his brother were initially detained but were later formally arrested. While it is unclear what the charges they face, the Demiroren News Agency reported that they told the police they acted out of self-defense and denied hitting Koyabakan.
According to the news agency, João and his brother were intoxicated and swearing during a verbal argument, which then escalated into a physical fight.
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João came to national attention when he appeared on the third season of “Below Deck Mediterranean.”(Greg Endries/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
João first came to national attention when he appeared as a deckhand on season three of “Below Deck Mediterranean.” He returned to the show as the bosun for the fourth season, and later appeared on”Below Deck Down Under.”
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He and his brother were born in Zimbabwe and later moved to Europe, and are now Portuguese nationals.
It’s not clear what charges João and his brother face.(Ralph Bavaro/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank
This is not the first time someone from “Below Deck Mediterranean” has been in the news for legal troubles. Earlier this year, Captain Sandy Yawn spoke with Fox News Digital about her battle against her former contractor, Spencer Calvert.
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She revealed that she and her wife, Leah, lost all their money in what they said was a scam set up by Calvert. She claimed she and Leah hired Calvert in 2020 to build their $1.6 million Jacksonville, Florida, home along with 12 other families, but accused him of allegedly pocketing the money instead.
“All of our money. Gone. Emotionally, we were wrecked,” Yawn said.
“But here’s the deal: like, I love God, Leah loves God — we love God. So we knew that we were going to get through this because, no matter what, as long as you do the next right thing and just show up in life and show others by your example how you walk through things, then that’s what it’s about, right?” Yawn added.
In July, Calvert was sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the fraud scheme. He was also given 30 years of probation and was ordered to pay over $8.7 million in restitution.
