"Below Deck Mediterranean" star Gael Cameron is opening up about her final season on the reality show with ex-boyfriend Nathan Gallagher before his arrest on domestic violence-related charges.
Cameron took to Instagram on Oct. 8, three days after the Season 11 finale, to reflect on the close of "another chapter of life."
"Croatia showed me the strength I have as a mother and as a woman: no matter how challenging the circumstances, I will survive," she wrote in a lengthy carousel post of photos with her then-infant son and members of the cast.
While Cameron wasn't a main cast member on the most recent season of the Bravo show, she appeared on several episodes as Gallagher worked as the bosun on superyacht Akira One. Cameron and Kayden, her and Gallagher's
son, who is now 1, stayed at a rental home near the boat's port in Croatia to see Gallagher between charters.
The season was filmed before Gallagher was arrested in December 2025 in an alleged domestic violence incident in Australia. In September, he was convicted on charges of assault and choking. He is facing a warrant for his arrest after failing to appear for his court hearing, a representative for New South Wales Courts confirmed to USA TODAY last month.
Gael Cameron says she was in 'survival mode' on recent 'Below Deck Med' season
While acknowledging that her time in Croatia "wasn't the easiest chapter," Cameron wrote in her post that she wanted to share "a bit of the good" from the period.
"I moved away with a new baby and still living in survival mode. But honestly? I think I did okay," she wrote, adding that she was "figuring out my new life as a mother."
Although baby Kayden's dad was away from the young family for most of the six-week period, Cameron said her best friend visited for almost half the time.
"With an extra set of hands and a bit of care I stopped just surviving and moments there I got to feel like myself again," she wrote.
She added: "Leaving my support system at home wasn’t the plan, but I’m so grateful for the experience."
Several "Below Deck Mediterranean" cast members shared support in the comments.
"I will never stop being in awe of you, my sweet sweet friend," Chief Stew Aesha Scott wrote.
"You are the strongest woman I know," Stew Kat Johnston wrote.
What we know about Nathan Gallagher's arrest and conviction
The alleged victim of the incident that led to Gallagher's arrest and conviction was not identified, but court records show Cameron filed an Apprehended Violence Application seeking protection from him.
An Apprehended Violence Application seeks a court order to protect an individual from someone they fear may harm them, according to the New South Wales Local Court.
In an Aug. 26 statement to Rolling Stone, Gallagher said, "I don't believe the public has heard the full story surrounding what happened," calling it "an extremely complicated situation."
Gallagher and Cameron met while both were appearing on "Below Deck Mediterranean" Season 9, which aired in 2024.
A Bravo spokesperson previously confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY that the network "does not plan on working with Nathan in the future."
Contributing: Liza Esquibias, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gael Cameron speaks on final 'Below Deck' season with Nathan Gallagher
