Below Deck’s Barbara Kulaif Reveals She Dated Her Ex-Girlfriend — Who Was Straight — for Nearly 2 Years

Below Deck‘s Barbara Kulaif made a surprising admission about her experience as a gay woman.

During the Monday, June 30, episode of the hit Bravo series, Barbara found herself forming a connection with Jess Theron, sharing in a confessional, “I don’t remember the last time I was with a gay girl. My ex-girlfriend was straight, and we stayed together for a year and a half.”

Barbara said the experience affected how she approached dating.

“I don’t think I want to be the one again waiting for someone’s time,” she noted. “Sometimes you just feel tired to be with someone that is not sure about you. It is nice that Jess is gay. We have a lot in common and I really like her.”

While Barbara seemed excited at her bond with Jess, the sneak peek for next week’s episode hinted at trouble in paradise. Despite Solène Favreau’s hookup with Kyle Stillie, she will start having second thoughts — and that will leads to her getting in between Barbara and Jess’s potential romance.

Season 12 is already off to a strong start after bringing back Kyle, chief steward Fraser Olender, Captain Kerry Titheradge and now alum Chef Anthony Iracane. Joining the crew were new members Chef Lawrence Snowden, bosun Caio Poltronieri, deckhands Jess and Damo and stews Barbara, Rainbeau de Roos and Solène.

Bravo previously released a synopsis that teased the drama awaiting viewers.

“Known for their unique blend of French and Dutch influences and pristine white sand beaches, the three Caribbean territories surround each other making for an unforgettable, island-hopping charter season,” read the April press release. “This season Captain Kerry demands respect from his crew as they navigate tense work dynamics and tangled love triangles on the high seas.”

In the interior, Fraser’s standards “are higher than ever, but his aim for perfection is sabotaged when his stews’ personalities clash. With more than 15 years of culinary experience, Chef Lawrence brings his fine-dining expertise to the galley. However, when the high-stress environment comes head-to-head with his strong faith, Chef Lawrence contends with his place on the boat.”

The exterior team, meanwhile, is led by Caio who “struggles to manage his team, and when gossip spreads that deckhand Kyle potentially crossed the ultimate line with a charter guest, Captain Kerry must make a tough decision.”

According to Fraser, viewers should expect at least one person getting fired, which, based on Monday’s episode, seems to be Caio. “There are firings. There are hirings,” he teased in May. “There are disasters left, right and center. But I cannot tell you enough how dramatic and how fun this season is. It is nonstop.”

He continued: “I was so excited to get into this season. I think I’ve grown so much since I first started out on the show — and you never know what you’re going to get as a crew. But I just wanted to make sure that out of any season, this one is where I wanted to bring my crew to the best of their ability. I wanted harmony and I wanted love and friendship and peace amongst all the madness. I think we succeeded.”

Below Deck airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.