Sabrina “Bri” Muller has had a lot of problems to iron out on Below Deck Mediterranean this season. And a good amount of those could be traced back to the laundry room. Whether it’s misplacing Captain Sandy Yawn’s shirt or putting cashmere in the dryer, the young stew can’t seem to catch a break. Making matters worse second stew Elena “Ellie” Dubaich thinks she broke girl code by going after deckhand Joe Bradley. Someone Dubaich showed interest in pursuing herself.
The love triangle has put a wedge between the co-workers and cabinmates. This drama has spilled over into work. So much so their boss Aesha Scott, chief stew, had to step in to try to mediate the situation. Dubaich went to Scott thinking Muller was creating some kind of “burn book” of mistakes made in the laundry log. She sees it as a way Muller is using to get her in trouble. Scott reaches the end of her rope and looks ready to go to Cap.
Things don’t look good for Muller ahead of the next episode. We caught up with the cast member on everything going on and if she was left out to dry.
How much of a fan of the show were you before coming aboard? What was the first day like?
Bri Muller: It wasn’t something I watched religiously, but it was always something I knew I could kill time with and still be interested in. Going on to the boat, I was so extremely nervous. My hands were shaking but in a good way.
One person who has come to your defense has been Kate Chastain. How do you feel about her standing up for you?
I appreciated that when I saw it. To have another stew such as Kate, who is so well known in the Below Deck world, I really did appreciate that.
What can you say about the rest of the season? It looks like you are in some hot water right now.
You’re going to see a catfight. You’re going to see white flags. You’re going to see red flags. You’re going to see so many different flags.
What feedback have you gotten on social media about this season so far?
I’ve been getting so much support, and I’m so grateful for that. Everyone has been kind to me. As I say that stuff, there is also a really dark side to social media. Some of the comments are really horrible, but I try my best to look away from them. Even when it’s about my cast members where I feel like I can say stuff about my cast, but when someone else says stuff about my cast, I want to defend them.
Do you think you broke the girl code when it comes to Ellie and Joe?
Ellie and I did have the conversation before we even started charters and getting the boat ready. We spoke about it, and it was free rein. I guess I did overstep by entertaining the possibility of Joe and I getting together. I sort of can understand why Ellie was upset. I would be too. I wouldn’t necessarily say I broke girl code because we had an understanding so I thought. I don’t know. It’s just a wild situation. I feel like all that drama could have been avoided if we sat down and discussed it maturely.
Do you feel Ellie made her feelings affect the work environment?
After I hooked up with Joe, I told her first thing in the morning exactly what I did. It was better coming from me than hearing it from someone else. That was the thought going through my mind. Just be open and honest. Try to keep the peace. Try. It did affect work in a really horrible way. I was tip-toeing around her, walking on eggshells. I feel like there were moments I wanted to grab her and say, “Look, it’s okay. I won’t do it anymore. I’ll try not to add fuel to the fire anymore.”
How do you look back on your decision to stay in Joe and Nathan [Gallahger’s] cabin for those days?
I did that for the fun of it. They made me laugh. That’s what I needed at the time. I needed to be happy. And if I could get that from sleeping on the ground in the boys’ cabin, I’d do that. It was never malicious. I just felt like that was a comfy space.
Joe knew what was going on, but he didn’t do much to help the situation.
I don’t think he wanted to help the situation. He was being young and dumb. He just wanted to experience it all. He did voice that. Let Joe do Joe.
How do you think Aesha did when it came to handling the interior and the issues between you and Ellie?
Aesha is an amazing chief stew. The way she handled both of us was mind-blowing. I couldn’t imagine myself being a chief stew in charge of Ellie and I. I felt she dealt with things in such a positive way the whole time. I feel like that was so good for me. Never did she once raise her voice. If she did have a concern, she would have a long chat with you. That was the best for me personally. As soon as negativity is involved, my confidence just goes down and down. That does not create a healthy working environment. You need positivity and to be uplifted instead of someone coming down on you. I actually find no fault in how Aesha has been guiding us through the season so far.
What about Captain Sandy? Losing her shirt and missing clothes. Then the whole cashmere in the dryer. How stressful was all that for you?
Laundry is like my worst nightmare. Just imagine getting a really expensive piece of clothing, and somehow f*cking it up. Captain was also really chill with me. I really do appreciate that, but losing her stuff was tough. That’s one thing you don’t want to do. Make the captain angry or upset in any way. You live and learn. Laundry is a fear I have to get over. I need to do that by actually doing laundry. You make a couple of mistakes and never do them again. You just keep getting better.
How do you feel about the laundry log being called a “burn book” now?
Everyone shut up. It’s not a burn book at all. My memory is just so bad. I like taking accountability when I do something wrong. However, when it’s not my fault, I don’t want to get the blame put on me because it’s a heavy weight to carry. I was logging literally every little thing so if something did go wrong I could go back and say, “Look, this is what I did that day. I don’t remember seeing a pair of white pants anywhere and all of sudden they were gray.” That Is an example. It’s not a burn book. It’s a book to keep my sanity.
What’s the status of your relationship with Ellie and Joe today?
Ellie and I aren’t on speaking terms. I feel like I just need space and time to just digest whatever is going on. Not that I hold grudges, but I need time to calm down, take a breather, and speak when my mind is clear. Now it’s not. Ellie is warming the bench right now. With Joe, we’re friends. We call, we talk, we catch up. Good guy. Fun guy.
I give you all the credit in the world. With everything going on, you didn’t quit. What got you through those tough times?
I feel like I came into the season with a point to prove to myself. Also, to show my parents how hard I work. They never get to see that side of me. At work, it’s a game face. I really want to prove to myself I could push through and be strong enough to go through something like this. I know people say, “It’s laundry. It’s easy.” When you’re doing a whole bunch of other stuff on the boat, having to worry about the crew’s things. It’s actually a lot. People who aren’t in the industry don’t understand that.
Would you do another season?
Oh my God, yes! I would love to do another one. I would love to work with Captain Sandy again just to show I’ve been doing work since and how far I’ve come.
