What Laura Betancourt Has Been Up To Since Leaving Below Deck
Laura Betancourt first boarded Below Deck as a replacement for Caroline Bedol, who infamously gave just two days' notice to quit her job on Captain Lee's tightly-run ship, as noted by Distractify. Betancourt immediately caused her own problems however, getting on chief stew Kate Chastain's nerves in particular, with the boss lady memorably telling producers, "Laura has a lot of opinions. If Laura had ever really been a chief stew, she would put herself in my position and wouldn't come out too hot from the start."
Their difficult relationship even led Chastain to threaten to quit, while Betancourt's onscreen relationship with Ashton Pienaar caused many to call her credibility into question following his own unsavory antics. After waving goodbye to the high seas, Betancourt has chosen to focus on what's really important to her which, thankfully, doesn't include a romance with the one crew-member Captain Lee would never work with again.
Laura Betancourt isn't seeing Ashton Pienaar
Betancourt seems to be a total fitness fanatic. According to a recent post from her private Instagram account, the Below Deck alum advised, "A new chapter is starting for me... Excited to plunge into the magic of this new beginning, [consciously] moving forward and away from aaaanything no longer serving me." The super-fit Betancourt moved into working in fitness full time, which makes sense given her extensive experience teaching yoga, pilates, and personal training in general aboard luxury yachts.
One thing she's not doing, however, is pursuing a relationship with Pienaar, as Betancourt confirmed in an interview with Bravo. "I'm extremely independent, and I wouldn't and didn't plan on getting into a relationship with Ashton at any time. I mean, just because you enjoy your time together with someone doesn't mean that you have to make it official," she said, admitting a boyfriend simply didn't fit into her grand plan (though she remains friendly with Pienaar).
Laura Betancourt has moved beyond Below Deck
The Below Deck alum continues to watch the show, though she admitted to finding it painful at times. Betancourt also acknowledged she behaved immaturely with Chastain, revealing to Bravo, "[I] wasn't someone who was too stable at that point because this is me, 20 hours of shifts... I was all scattered." The two ladies did end up getting along eventually, and Betancourt noted she's eager to see where Chastain anchors herself following her own exit from the show.
These days, Betancourt is running her own personal training business at home in Toronto. She also briefly returned to yachting for a job in the Bahamas. Most recently, the former reality star launched a premium tea line called Satyera, the merchandise for which includes a mug brandishing her now-famous "check yourself" line. Although yachting still holds a place in her heart, Betancourt feels lucky to be able to pursue her dreams on dry land as she gets older and moves into the next phase of her life.