As the feud between Below Deck Down Under season 3 Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and Chief Stew Lara Rigby continues to evolve, the rest of the cast is being forced to choose sides. Tzarina and Lara began the season with unresolved tension from their previous work together, the extent of which became glaringly apparent. Tzarina accused Lara of stealing her sous-chef on their last yacht, a pattern she feared was repeating when Lara grew closer to Tzarina’s sous-chef, Alesia Harris. Meanwhile, Lara complained that Tzarina had a history of negativity, which she allegedly lost her job over.

As Lara and Tzarina’s feud escalated, they could no longer hide their animosity from the rest of the crew. Their constant bickering erupted into shouting matches that were heard outside the galley, and as Tzarina launched accusations at Lara, Lara bouthed Tzarina to their coworkers. Captain Jason Chambers stepped in and held a meeting between the two department heads, which was unsuccessful due to Lara’s storming out. With the rest of the crew given front-row seats to the chaos, it’s worth looking into their takes on the mess.

Captain Jason Spoke Out In Defense Of Tzarina

He Suggested There Was More To The Story

As Tzarina became increasingly insecure about Lara’s closeness with Alesia, Captain Jason took to Instagram to back up his chef. In screenshots captured by Reality Tea, the captain replied to a fan who bashed Tzarina by telling them, “I think you need to rewatch it. [Tzarina] was clearly pushed out with what I saw.” He reminded viewers that the galley is a punishing setting with “no light of day and equipment not operating,” and he also noted that Tzarina’s cooking had been well-received by the charter guests.

Captain Jason went out of his way to her, which speaks volumes about his perspective as a firsthand witness.

Captain Jason and Tzarina have history, having first worked together on Below Deck Down Under season 2. But despite their close relationship, the captain is historically level-headed and honest, and he wouldn’t back Tzarina up if he didn’t genuinely agree with her. Captain Jason went out of his way to her, which speaks volumes about his perspective as a firsthand witness. His willingness to openly side with Tzarina suggests he saw Lara as the instigator of the drama.

Marina & Bri Sided With Lara On WWHL

They Both Agreed Tzarina Was The “Mean Girl”

While Captain Jason spoke out on Tzarina’s behalf, of Lara’s interior team took the opposite stance. Stews Brianna “Bri” Duffield and Marina Marcondes de Barros appeared on Watch What Happens Live, where they both backed Lara up without hesitation. When questioned by host Andy Cohen, Bri and Marina agreed that Tzarina has bigger “mean girl energy,” and they both thought Lara was looking out for Alesia’s best interests. When pressed further, Marina threw shade at Tzarina’s apparent dramatics, commenting, “You should go get an acting career if that’s how you want to play life.”

Bri and Marina's experiences on Below Deck Down Under made them confident Tzarina was in the wrong. Their take is worth noting because, unlike Captain Jason, the stews worked directly alongside Lara and were more closely involved in the clashes between her and Tzarina. Furthermore, they each had their own issues with Lara due to her refusal to rotate their roles, so they have no reason to be blindly loyal to her. It appears Bri and Marina both witnessed Tzarina’s villainous behavior, and it was enough to make them unwavering in their of Lara.

Tzarina & Harry Appear To Have Had A Falling Out

They Unfollowed Each Other On Instagram

Tzarina has a close onscreen relationship with Deckhand Harry Van Vliet, but it appears even they may no longer be on solid ground. Despite having worked together for two seasons, Tzarina and Harry no longer follow each other on Instagram. This seems indicative of tension spreading throughout the cast, and in this case, it appears that Tzarina is the common denominator.

Regardless of who was in the wrong, Lara and Tzarina have an obligation to keep things professional. It’s very telling that Marina and Bri agreed Tzarina was a mean girl, and Harry’s cutting ties with her further backs up the theory that Tzarina’s actions were the root of the problem. However, Captain Jason is the ultimate authority on Below Deck Down Under, and his of Tzarina suggests this may be a situation where nobody’s right.

Source: Reality Tea