Are Jess And Barbara From Below Deck Still Together?
No, Jess and Bárbara from Below Deck aren’t still together, though if you watched their relationship unfold on Season 12, that probably doesn’t come as a surprise. These two gave fans a charming, messy, and at times exhausting saga full of flirty glances, love-triangle drama, and head-in-hands “what are they thinking?” moments. When the cameras were rolling, there were sparks (and occasionally, fireworks of the not-so-fun variety). But after the season wrapped, things got complicated fast in that real-world, Group-WhatsApp-blows-up kind of way.
The story after the show ended is a little wild, kind of the definition of “truth is stranger than fiction.” Bárbara revealed on Watch What Happens Live that she and Jess split up almost immediately after filming ended. Apparently, while everyone was still decompressing in Sint Maarten, Bárbara walked in on Jess and Solène together (the kind of “together” that doesn’t need much translation) in Jess’s hotel room. Solène was, according to Bárbara, stark naked when she saw her. If you’ve ever had a roommate in college who “borrowed” your favorite top and also kissed your crush, multiply that drama by about a hundred and then broadcast it on TV.
Bárbara admitted she’d tried to give Jess a second chance, which she now regrets, and she even joked, “I don’t regret anything in life, but my therapist isn’t proud of me.” It’s painfully relatable. Who hasn’t tried to ignore some red flags, only to walk face-first into a neon sign? After the hotel incident, Bárbara blocked both Jess and Solène. If only unfollowing someone could also erase awkward memories.
And yet, time does its thing. These days, Bárbara has actually met Jess’s new girlfriend (Katie), and despite the wild past, says she’s lovely and maybe even the best part of Jess’s post-show life. There’s some shade there, but also a weirdly touching sense of moving on. Bárbara and Solène are on friendly terms, kind of. She described Solène as a “friend I’d never bring home to my parents,” which, let’s be honest, says everything.
Jess, for her part, seems more chill about it on social media, posting that she’s happy with her new girlfriend and not interested in rehashing the drama. She even said, in true millennial fashion, that she’s got “receipts and messages” to back up her story, but isn’t planning to drop them unless someone makes her. If that isn’t the energy of someone finally out of reality TV mode and into real life, what is? No more group texts at 2 a.m., just finding a little peace.
For Below Deck fans, it’s a classic ship-that-sank story, one of those romances that made for great TV, lots of memes, and the occasional eye-roll. But offscreen? Turns out, the real-life waves are harder to navigate than Caribbean storms. Jess and Bárbara gave it a go, tangled with more than a little baggage, tried again, and (predictably) crashed. At least this time, the only thing left over is a good story, not a broken charter boat.
