Below Deck‘s Kate Chastain was brutally honest about her tepid opinion of Ben Robinson’s fiancée before their split.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly while promoting House of Villains, Kate, 43, revealed she wasn’t surprised about Ben, 45, ending his engagement to Kiara Cabral, saying, “I own a condo in the same building as Ben. So I know everything.”
She continued: “I know more than I want to know, to be honest. I was like, ‘This is too close.’ Everything happens for a reason and I’m actually so happy for him that they didn’t get married because I do not think it was meant to be.”
Kate admitted she wasn’t too fond of Ben with Kiara.
“It wasn’t tough because I didn’t like her that much,” she added. “I was happy for him [when they broke up because] he was finally seeing the light. But I was with him when he picked out the engagement ring. I was eight and a half months pregnant — and we went to pick out his ring. So to be part of that journey, I know it was very sad for him … the end of a dream.”
Us originally broke the news in May 2023 that Ben and Kiara were engaged after more than three years of dating. Before their planned nuptials, Ben confirmed in September 2024 that his wedding had been called off. He offered more insight on what caused the split on season 4 of Below Deck Down Under, which premiered last month on Bravo.
“I was meant to get married last year. And I caught her — she had been seeing one of my friends for a very long time,” he claimed. “I’m more sensitive because everyone’s just f***ing let me down, that’s why.”
Kiara, however, offered her own version of how their relationship came to an end.
“Everything Ben has said about me on the show is 100 percent false,” she said in a TikTok video posted in February. “I have never and I would never be romantically involved with any of his friends. That’s not the kind of person I am.”
She concluded: “The truth is I was the one that left the relationship — not easily, I may add — because of the way he was treating me. There was a lot of trauma I had to deal with from that relationship. And honestly, I just want it to be over. It’s been over two years, and I really feel like I’ve healed. … This is really hard for me to talk about. It’s been over two years since the relationship ended, and I’ve healed since then. I truly hope he has as well.”
Below Deck has followed various relationships and flings throughout the franchise — but some stars found love with one another outside their seasons. Malia White‘s introduction to Below Deck Mediterranean in season 2 came with a love triangle between Adam Glick and Wesley Walton. Although Malia and Wes gave their romance another try offscreen — […]
Kate, meanwhile, is sticking by Ben after they originally developed a friendship on Below Deck.
“Ben and I are great friends. We are like family,” she told Us. “I know I wouldn’t call him for all emergencies but I know if I call him, he would show up.”
While supporting Ben’s return to Below Deck, Kate has had a fun time watching the show, adding, “I know this job and I know Ben really well. I’m actually enjoying this season of him because he’s showing a more vulnerable side.”
Kate, for her part, is now on season 3 of House of Villains.
“It is so shocking to me that I loved House of Villains so much more than The Traitors, because it was so much more fun,” she shared with Us. “But I think if people in the Bravo world [and] want to do Traitors and House of Villains, Traitors is the one to do first.”
House of Villains is streaming now on Peacock with new episodes released every Thursday.
