What happened to Dani from Below Deck? Jean-Luc relationship & baby situation explained

Dani Soares rose to fame after appearing in season 2 of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, but left after her first season after getting pregnant when she had an affair with her co-star, Jean-Luc.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht is among the most popular spinoff show from Bravo and aired its fourth season in 2023.

Since starting in 2020, Captain Glenn Shephard has seen several people join his team – including Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux in Season 2. While both have since left the crew, their story together was one of the biggest talking points in Below Deck’s short history.

But a lot has changed since the two crewmates left the show, including Dani getting into a new career path with her daughter by her side.

What happened to Dani Soares from Below Deck Sailing Yacht?

After appearing on Below Deck Sailing Yacht for just one season, Dani left the crew to have a baby, after a romance on board with Jean-Luc.

In the Season 2 reunion episode, she took issue with a comment from the father’s mother, confirming the family would not be involved in the baby’s life as a result.

The alleged comment was about calling Dani “gross” for “using a man” because she was desperate to be a mom.

Dani confirmed during the episode that several social media users urged her to abort the child. She replied by saying she was pro-choice, but said: “For me, I just wouldn’t be able to do that.”

The former second stew also dismissed the idea that the pregnancy was planned. She gave birth to her daughter Lilly in May 2021.

Who is the father of Dani’s baby?

Many viewers had a hunch that Jean-Luc was the father of Dani’s baby, after their boatmance on Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2.

It has since been confirmed by Bravo TV that Jean-Luc is the baby’s father, and they took an international DNA test to confirm the news.

Dani still posts updates on Instagram, where she has over 173,000 followers.

Are Dani and JL from Below Deck still together?

Dani and JL are no longer in a relationship, and confirmed it shortly after leaving Below Deck Sailing Yacht. They spent a few moments together but decided to go their separate ways.

The Below Deck stars since commented publicly about parenthood after Dani gave birth to Lilly.

In an update on Instagram, Jean-Luc said: “Dani and I have been working and communicating together to the best of our ability; given Dani is a full-time mother and worker, and I being gone for extended periods of time not knowing when I will step back on land. This is imperative for the sake of our daughter as she needs both parents in her life.”

“I am thankful for my friends, and family who have stuck by my side through thick and thin. As I look forward to this new year with new opportunities, I will be striving to be the best man and father that I can be. God bless.”

What does Dani do now after Below Deck Sailing Yacht?

Dani is pursuing a new career since the show, as a trainee nurse. She recently took part in different hospital placements as part of her studies, which she graduated from in May 2024. According to her social media posts, she divides time between her studies and being a full-time mom.

She keeps fans updated on her Instagram about her life as a single mom and often posts selfies with her now three-year-old daughter, Lilly.

Meanwhile, Jean-Luc confirmed in October 2023 on his social media that he is in a relationship with a woman named Jennifer, who is a former candidate for Miss Hooters Colorado 2020. She has an active Instagram account under the name Jenniferisintown.

Christmas chaos

In December 2023, Dani insinuated that Jean-Luc did not wish their daughter a Merry Christmas, which was her third Christmas since being born in 2021. Jean-Luc hasn’t publicly responded to the allegation as of yet.

Dani’s alleged new love interest

In January 2024, Dani shared some new life updates on her Instagram and posted a story tagging model and social worker, Jasper Wevers.

The story was captioned ‘couple goals’ and naturally had fans speculating what relationship the pair had. So far, Dani has not clarified the rumors if she is dating Jasper or not.

Dani prefers to keep her relationship private on social media, especially since her Below Deck Sailing Yacht relationship with Jean-Luc was so public. She might reveal more information if the couple becomes more serious.