Below Deck Mediterranean star Nathan Gallagher lost a loved one recently, which he revealed during the Monday, September 2, episode of the Bravo series. While opening up in a confessional, the season 9 Deckland explained how he found out that a close friend died following a battle with cancer.
“So, I get this text saying that my friend has passed away from cancer,” Nathan told the cameras. “I knew he had cancer, but the night before I came to join the boat, we were out drinking. He wasn’t drinking but he seemed OK. Thinking about the memories and things like that, it’s a lot of information to gather at once and I’m just pushing that aside for now.”
Later on in the episode, Nathan opened up about why his friend’s death affected him. He pointed out that his mother experienced a cancer scare.
“My mom was going through tests for cancer recently,” Nathan said. “She’s been cleared now, thankfully. I found out through my sister. My mom didn’t tell me directly. Grief and things like this isn’t something we talk about. I definitely tend to push people away. I’m doing what my mom does.”
Nathan also spoke with his fellow Deckhand Gael Cameron. During their heart-to-heart, Nathan confessed that he didn’t “know why [he’s] so sensitive” to the situation.
“Who cares if you’re sensitive, man?” Gael told Nathan. “You’re going through s**t. It’s OK. You’re allowed to be sad sometimes.” Nathan then pointed out to his co-star that it’s “really f**king hard” dealing with this, adding, “I’m really struggling to cope with it.”
The tearful conversation brought Gael and Nathan closer, as she pointed out that this was “definitely a different side of Nathan” to see.
“He obviously has a very sensitive spot that he doesn’t show that often, and it just hurts to see him upset,” Gael said during a confessional. “I feel like Nathan was there for me when I was going through a hard time with my ex, and I just want him to know that I’m here for him too.”
Their co-star Joe Bradley conveyed a similar sentiment about Nathan. During his respective confessional, Joe acknowledged that this “must for so hard for Nathan to deal with.”
“Like, I couldn’t remotely imagine,” Joe admitted. “He’s a brother to me at this point, so I’m gonna be there for Nathan. Whatever he needs, we’ll get done. I want to show him that he’s got me.”
New episodes of Below Deck Mediterranean airs every Monday at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
