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Captain Sandy Yawn is all set to sail again with the crew on Below Deck Mediterranean. With three decades of yachting experience under her belt, captain Sandy Yawn will travel to Malta this season.
Although she will be enjoying her job as part of the new season, she will surely miss her gospel singer girlfriend, Leah Shafer, whom she first met in 2018.
Season 7 of Below Deck Mediterranean will air on Monday, July 11 at 08.00 pm ET/PT on Bravo with a new crew. Speaking about the new season, Captain Sandy Yawn told E! News:
"I'm excited for the fans to see how fun the crew are. Yes, of course, we have issues like every other boat—I'm going to deal with them and they have their drama— but overall, they're hilarious."
All about Sandy Yawn and girlfriend Leah Shafer's relationship
Sandy Yawn met her girlfriend Leah Shafer on Facebook after the latter sent her a message saying that she was happy to see Yawn’s show Below Deck Mediterranean and wished her "many blessings," which grabbed her attention. She then looked at her background and found out that Shafer is a gospel singer.
At the time, Yawn was also preparing for her I Believe tour, which was meant to motivate people with leadership and empowerment lessons, and she felt that Shafer would be a perfect addition to the tour.
After exchanging a few messages on social media, the duo met in person in Los Angeles in November 2018, and immediately fell in love with each other. Speaking about their connection, Shafer stated:
“It was definitely unexpected. It just happened, when you meet another soul that you connect with at such a deep level, it is unexplainable and so beautiful."
They formed a strong spiritual connection instantly after their meeting. Shafe was also immediately drawn to Yawn's passion for inspiring the youth and connecting with them through music.
Yawn then moved to Denver from LA to be closer to Shafer and her teen daughter, Lauren Rae. Before falling in love with Yawn, Shafer was married to motivational speaker Ross Shafer for more than 20 years before they parted ways. The former couple adopted Lauren Rae in 2006.
The Below Deck Mediterranean captain confirmed her new relationship in an interview with BravoTV in May 2019. However, the couple has been ridiculed for their same-sex relationships and religious beliefs.
A few religious institutions closed their doors to Shafer after she went public with her new love interest, but this did not cause any tiff between the couple. Shafer said:
“It’s looked against it, loving the same sex. I think you can’t help who you fall in love with. God is love. He doesn’t care.”
Shafer has released about six albums in her career so far. She also regularly performs the national anthem at the Denver Broncos games as the team considers her their lucky charm.
Before meeting the gospel singer, the yacht captain was single and looking for “someone who wants to live, wants to experience, wants to travel, wants to try different restaurants, wants to go see shows,” as per The Daily Dish.
The couple is still going strong today and are “in a deep, committed relationship," even today.
