Whatever Happened To João Franco From Below Deck Med?

João Franco's first appearance on "Below Deck Mediterranean" Season 3 was filled with drama. While the deckhand was great at his job, he got involved in a messy love triangle with two of the stews, Brooke Laughton and Kasey Cohen. Although he ultimately chose Laughton, he still flirted with Cohen, causing competition between the two stews (via Bravo). 

Franco would also frequently get drunk during crew nights out, activating his alter ego "Jezabob." During one of his drunken moments, he crushed a glass in his hands and called the chief stew Hannah Ferrier a "slut," per Reality Tea. Following the episode, Franco issued an apology in a now-deleted tweet. "I am appalled by my behaviour on the show. I realise that I acted extremely primitively and disrespectfully. I don't know what came over me but I am accepting responsibility for my actions," he told fans. 

Franco returned to "Below Deck Med" Season 4 and was promoted to bosun, per Screen Rant. He seemed to have mellowed out since his previous season, but still butted heads with his crewmates. His relationship with Laughton was over by then and he focused on his job and impressing Captain Sandy Yawn. Following Season 4, Franco has been absent from "Below Deck Med" and fans have wondered what he has been doing since.

After his last stint on "Below Deck Mediterranean" Season 4, João Franco announced that he was taking a break from alcohol. In February 2020, he shared on Instagram, "I have been on holiday for two months now and that makes me so lucky! So why do I feel like I need a break? What is making me feel this way? I'll tell you what... A hangover. One that's lasted 3 days! Demons... Alcohol. I've decided I hate this feeling!" Franco explained that when he drinks, there is no "off switch" and he often wakes up not remembering the events of the night before. He acknowledged that he was an angry drunk and often got into fights with others.

In May 2020, Franco shared that he was three months sober. The former bosun posted on Instagram, "Not waking up a single day in almost 3 months with a hangover has been AWESOME! Why do we do it?? I have been in near impossible situations where I thought I'd crack but nada!" Franco shared that he decided to use his savings from not drinking to build a car and credited his trainer for keeping him on track with his fitness. He also acknowledged his then-girlfriend Michelle Dicu, whom he split from in June 2021, per Bravo. Since then, Franco put his focus on his career and shared a surprising update for his fans.

A month after his breakup with Michelle Dicu, João Franco shared that he worked his way up to become Captain. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Franco told fans, "This is the PEAK of my career and the highest point I could possibly be with the qualifications I have! And being given a chance to start afresh with a BRAND new boat ... is a dream come true" (via Bravo).

Most recently, Franco is still working as a captain but is also "studying and enjoying life at the moment," as reported by Bravo. The former reality star had previously shared that he was working on getting his master's and aiming to get more experience on larger boats.

Franco has also moved on with his girlfriend Domi Tiesi, whom he became Instagram official with on July 13. The two celebrated Halloween together with Franco as the Joker, while Tiesi was dressed as a captain. Franco's latest Instagram post as of this writing shows him and Tiesi on a boat catching fish and enjoying the sun. "Nowhere else I'd rather be today, In Zimbabwe, on the Zambezi river in Chirdundu having the best time with incredible people," he wrote. While Franco seems to be done with "Below Deck Mediterranean" as a bosun, perhaps fans will someday see him back on the show as the captain.