Below Deck Jessika Makanalani Asai has ties to another BD star

Je'Kayla Crawford
Jessika from Below Deck Med

Stewardess Jessika Makanalani Asai from Below Deck Med Season 8 has a connection to this controversial Below Deck star.

Below Deck fans are used to their favorite crew members returning season after season. But, every now and then, Bravo introduces a few new stars to join the successful franchise.

One newcomer who is making their on-screen debut is Jessika Makanalani Asai. She is a stewardess in Below Deck Mediterranean Season 8, working under Down Under alum Tumi Mhlongo.

While it might be intimidating to join a popular reality TV series without any prior experience being on camera, Jessika has a friend from the franchise whom she can learn the ropes from. And viewers aren’t thrilled over who it is.

Who does Below Deck Med’s Jessika know from BD?

Judging by the multiple photos together on her Instagram page, Jessika is close friends with Heather Kapiolani.

Heather worked as the chief stewardess in Season 9 of Below Deck, working alongside fan-favorite Fraser Olender.

Her reality TV debut took a controversial turn when she apologized for singing along to a song with a racial slur in it. She did not return for Season 10 and soon announced her retirement from yachting.

Viewers will soon see if Jessika mentions her friendship with Heather to the rest of the Season 8 cast members. Because if so, it might strike an uncomfortable chord. It already has with the viewers who found out about their connection and discussed it on Below Deck Reddit Thread.

One fan wrote, “More like: “when your bestfriend is racist >>>>”

Another fan chimed in and wrote, “Yiiiiikes.”

New episodes of Below Deck Med Season 8 air every Monday night on Bravo.

To stay updated on Below Deck Mediterranean and the upcoming seasons, make sure to check our page here.