“Very unhappy in our situationship” — Below Deck’s Fraser Olender opens up about long-distance breakup and Damo kiss

Below Deck season 12 continues to follow the personal and professional journeys of the crew aboard the St. David yacht. One of the central storylines in recent episodes has been Fraser Olender’s long-distance relationship and the events that led to its end.

During episode 4, Fraser opened up about his frustration with not being able to spend time with his partner, saying he had only seen him five times so far that year. In episode 5, Fraser confirmed their breakup to stew Barbara Kulaif,

“Just so you know, my boyfriend and I broke up. Because we don’t see each other,” he shared.

In a June 30 interview with The Daily Dish, Fraser elaborated on what he was feeling at the time.

“Do I really have a boyfriend? Yes. But seeing him five times a year? I don’t know if that classifies as something that’s going particularly well. I quickly realized that I’m very unhappy in our situationship,” he shared.

Fraser also spoke about the kiss with Damo Yorg that took place in Episode 4 and how it influenced his decision.

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Below Deck star Fraser ends his relationship and reflects on the distance

Fraser’s relationship was under strain from the beginning of the season. In episode 4 of Below Deck, he called the arrangement a “pen pal” situation and admitted that their schedules were “incompatible.” The limited time they spent together raised doubts about whether the relationship was still working.

In episode 5, after going ashore to talk with his boyfriend, Fraser returned with clarity and informed Barbara that they had broken up. He later explained the reason behind the breakup in a confessional,

“Long distance is super hard. It’s never something I wanted to be in. And lo and behold it’s not working. It needed to be done,” he said.

Fraser added that dating someone means wanting to spend time with them, which wasn’t happening in his case. “It’s not the right time for us,” he said. In his interview with The Daily Dish, Fraser provided more context about how disconnected he felt. He also told stew Rainbeau de Roos that he was not ruling out the possibility of reconnecting in the future.

“If we’re ever back in the same place, at the same time, no longer doing what we’re doing, it absolutely could work out,” Fraser said.

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Fraser addresses his kiss with Damo and possible regrets in Below Deck

Fraser’s decision to end his relationship came shortly after sharing a kiss with deckhand Damo Yorg in the hot tub during episode 4 of Below Deck. The kiss, which was shown as the “first kiss of the season,” made Fraser reassess where things stood with his boyfriend.

While talking in a confessional, Fraser said the kiss raised questions because he and his boyfriend had discussed boundaries about physical affection with others.

“Do I think I’ve cheated? Absolutely not,” Fraser said.

Fraser added that if his boyfriend kissed a straight male friend, it wouldn’t bother him, but it would be different if it were another gay man. “It wouldn’t be cool,” he explained. In his Daily Dish interview, Fraser clarified that the moment with Damo wasn’t serious and didn’t change his overall approach to relationships.

“Everything’s all super fun, and free, and jovial, and joking. None of it’s serious,” he said.

Fraser added that the crew tends to let loose and enjoy themselves, and these moments aren’t taken personally by anyone involved. As for whether there will be more romantic developments this season, she mentioned that he did not have any serious crushes or intentions to pursue anyone during the season.

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Watch the latest episodes of Below Deck available to stream on Bravo.