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'Below Deck' Alum Joao Franco Arrested in Turkey After Fistfight Leaves Teen Shop Worker Dead
The Bravo yacht-show veteran and his brother were taken into custody in the resort town of Bodrum after a 17-year-old employee died from injuries suffered during a brawl at a clothing store.
Joao Franco, a longtime cast member of Bravo's "Below Deck" franchise, and his brother Carlos have been arrested in the Turkish resort town of Bodrum after a fight outside a clothing store left a 17-year-old shop employee dead, according to multiple reports citing Turkish authorities.
The incident happened on a Saturday night in Turkey's Muğla province, when an argument between the Franco brothers and store staff escalated into a physical fight, CBS News reported, citing Turkish outlets Demiroren News Agency and Voices Newspaper. During the brawl, 17-year-old Muhammet Koyabakan fell and struck his head, suffering a severe injury and going into cardiac arrest; he was revived at the scene but died two days later, on a Monday, at a hospital.
Franco, 36, and Carlos were detained and later formally arrested, according to The Daily Beast. Both are Portuguese nationals.
SELF-DEFENSE, THE BROTHERS SAY.
The brothers have disputed responsibility for Koyabakan's death. Reports citing Demiroren say they told police they were the ones attacked and acted in self-defense, denying they struck the teenager. Turkish investigators have not publicly detailed what charges, if any, have been filed, and the case remains under investigation.
A familiar face on Bravo
Franco is best known to American audiences as a deckhand-turned-captain across multiple "Below Deck" spin-offs, debuting on "Below Deck Mediterranean" in 2018 before moving to "Below Deck Down Under." In his Bravo bio, he once described himself as "a jack of all trades and a master of none," and told the Majorca Daily Bulletin that his real-life path from deckhand to captain mirrored his on-screen arc.
Bravo and NBCUniversal have not issued a statement on Franco's arrest, and representatives for Franco did not immediately respond to outlets' requests for comment. It's unclear whether the network has any plans for Franco's future involvement with the franchise given the pending case.
Koyabakan's death has drawn significant attention in Turkish media, where Bodrum's status as a magnet for European and American tourists has fueled scrutiny of how visiting celebrities are treated by local authorities. Franco and his brother remain in custody in Turkey as the investigation continues.