Below Deck fans might be surprised to find out that Aesha Scott‘s experience in yachting led to her working on some star-studded boats — including one with Leonardo DiCaprio.
“I’ve actually had Leonardo DiCaprio on before,” Aesha, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly in this week’s Below Deck cover story. “He was so polite and so lovely.”
Aesha recalled the actor, 50, being “so intelligent,” adding, “He just wanted to be left alone because he was having all of these business meetings to do with his new book. This was years ago. So the book at the time was about climate change and I just remember serving them — and obviously you can’t help but hear what they’re talking about.”
She continued: “I just remember thinking that he was probably the most articulate man I have ever heard speak in my life. He was very articulate and very intelligent.”
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After working for DiCaprio, Aesha had another celebrity still left on her wishlist.
“I would want to work on Rihanna’s boat because I’ve had friends that have had Rihanna on. They said that she is just the nicest, kindest and down-to-earth charter guest,” the chief stew recalled. “Every time she’d get off, she’d leave them all designer handbags. Not that you’re doing it for the gift but I’ve heard that she is a very, very lovely and generous and kind charter guest.”
Aesha has been a franchise staple since joining Below Deck Med during season 4 in 2019. She worked as a second stew under Hannah Ferrier’s reign before becoming the chief stew alongside Captain Jason Chambers on Below Deck Down Under for the first two seasons of the spinoff from 2022 to 2023.
Aesha returned to her Below Deck Med roots as the chief stew during season 9 and is back again for the upcoming season, which returns on Monday, September 29.
“When I decided that I was going to go to the Med again, I was going to tell Jason. But Jason did reach out and say, ‘Oh, I heard that you’re going over and good luck with everything,’” Aesha told Us. “He was very disappointed.”
She added: “But he also gets it. He’s logical enough that he gets it and he wished me nothing but happiness and success and that’s the thing at the end of the day. It wasn’t anything to do with what captain I liked better. It’s purely just I love the Med. That’s where my yachting heart is.”
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Captain Jason, 52, weighed in on the shakeup, saying during an interview with Us, “It’s not uncommon for stewardesses to move on. They want to do different things and different locations. Things change and you have to adapt to it. Aesha had an opportunity to switch locations and rewrite the story that she started in so definitely can understand why.”
As for Captain Sandy Yawn, she felt it was the perfect fit to have Aesha back.
“Aesha began on Below Deck Med and she belongs on Below Deck Med. The Mediterranean is where they belong,” she shared with Us. “I love that there’s a little bit of a crossover. I like having my people but I would also like to experience other crew as well.”
For more from the Below Deck cover story, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
