The Truth About Below Deck Med's Malia & Tom's Dramatic Split
In late September, Below Deck Mediterranean star Malia White posted a shout-out on Instagram to "all the ladies out there in their 30's, single, focused on their careers & that give zero f***s!" Considering she was seen traveling around with boyfriend and co-star Tom Checketts just a few weeks prior, the girl power statement seemed to come out of nowhere. Then, while appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen soon after, White was asked outright if she was single and confirmed very simply that she is (via YouTube).
As Bravo's Daily Dish reports, the Below Deck Med star later took to Instagram to confirm in a since-deleted video that the couple had indeed called it quits. White advised, "First off, yes, Tom and I have split. The details surrounding all of it I am trying to keep a little private, just out of respect for him and I. But yes, I am single." So, where did it all go wrong for them?
Work drove Below Deck Med's Malia and Tom apart
The couple didn't have the easiest season, starting off in a long distance relationship before being pushed together when Checketts unexpectedly joined White's charter as a chef. The Daily Dish notes White was slightly peeved that her boyfriend's arrival took some of the shine off her becoming bosun. She was also concerned about mixing business and pleasure, particularly given her previous bad experience during season two.
White fretted at the time, "My fear is how it could affect our relationship because I love Below Deck, but it's not worth my relationship — not with him, not with this one." It seems work was what ultimately drove them apart, as White explained to Cohen, "This industry is tough. We work apart for a long time." However, she also ominously noted, "There's some bad apples out there," suggesting that something more damaging might have occurred, too.
Was one of the Below Deck Med stars unfaithful?
Cohen pointed out that, at the reunion filmed just a couple weeks prior, White and Checketts were "all over each other." When he broached the question of whether they were ever in an open relationship, the Below Deck Med bosun advised simply that she was "wrong about that, too." The host continued to press for more info, suggesting that maybe someone on the boat with Checketts had told White he was cheating on her. The diving instructor refused to be drawn on details, noting, "I don't really want to get into it. But Tom and I are done. I'm single."
She did seemingly give some indication of what drove them apart, though, revealing, "That's the downside of this industry. It's really tough to work apart and work on these boats. Obviously you've seen attractions happen and things happen." White has unfollowed Checketts on Instagram and deleted all shots of them as a couple, while the chef has left everything as is, so it remains to be seen if this is really the end.