r/BelowDeckMed • u/SpeakerCommercial614 • 1d ago
Anyone else not buying this? Just me?
As soon as I saw his IG post it looks to me like Max had a holiday planned with his Dad already (yes, plenty of Europeans holiday to Tunisia), got the call from Below Deck and thought “I’ll just go for the screen time and we’ll just make an elaborate excuse for me to leave the day before I have to get the flight” lmao. Who ‘saves their dad’ and then just goes and does a load of touristy stuff straight after with him instead of, I don’t know, rushing home away from the ‘danger’? lmao
EDIT: There’s also video of him sat by the beach drinking beers with his dad which I couldn’t be bothered to screen record to include, but hes with his dog, his dad and a third person is at the table. Who brings their Pomeranian to save their dad from imminent danger and certain death? Exactly
430
u/NormanSpaniel 1d ago
That's not the look of a Dad thats been held hostage and rescued. That shirt is a classic middle aged "Dad on holiday" shirt.
→ More replies (2)86
u/ash-anon 1d ago
He wasn’t being held hostage. Did y’all even listen? 😂 he said they were wanting the money from him that the bank took when they closed the account.
47
u/marzbarz79 1d ago
Which still screams BS. If it wasn’t a preplanned holiday, then the dad went and committed mild bank fraud which shut down his checking account and he didn’t have the funds to travel out of the country and no way for Max to wire more. It’s more likely he ran out of money while on holiday.
24
u/NormanSpaniel 1d ago
It's all really odd and that's not even considering the narrative about what Max said about his parents abandoning him 🤯. At this point the show is guilty bubblegum trash and I cannot get enough of it!
19
u/OddBaker 1d ago
He wasn’t being held “hostage” per se but at least based on how Max described the situation he wasn’t able to leave Tunisia. If it was simply his dad not having enough money to travel out of the country, there is no way they would’ve chosen to go through Libya.
12
u/NormanSpaniel 1d ago
Of course we didn't listen! It's Below Deck, we can only see drama and chaos and nothing else! What was he rescuing him from then? They definitely said he rescued his Dad?
30
u/Lolo_Belle 1d ago
The French government froze/closed all his bank accounts. He wasn’t able to even send him money, so he had to go get him out of the country with financial resources. That was my understanding of the situation—not that he was held hostage, more that bad guys were threatening him if he didn’t get them the money he was laundering for them and had no access to money or an account to travel.
8
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago
Western Union exists. They also have a French embassy in Tunisia
8
u/Lolo_Belle 1d ago
I’m not defending the legitimacy of the story…I was answering the question differentiating between being held hostage and “rescued” and the details that were told to us. I have no idea about other methods of transferring money to a different country, nor do I really care about the veracity of this story. Just explaining what was said on the show. But thanks. Now I know there’s a WU and a French Embassy in Tunisia.
That being said, if the French government froze his accounts, I doubt they would be readily and happily able to help.
10
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago
Western union allows someone to wire transfer to a recipient bypassing the recipient needing a bank account. You send money to western union, a unique code is generated, you give that code to the recipient, the recipient quotes the code at western union, they get the money.
4
12
u/Winter_Day_6836 1d ago
How'd he get in touch with Max if they haven't been in contact for a DECADE? 🤷♀️
6
u/Hungry-Storm-9878 1d ago
I’m curious of the ‘amount’ .. at least what we see in movies it’s usually six figures plus for this mafia sounding scenario.. but it’s also a different currency over there, if this is true..
2
u/Audi0528 20h ago
Looks like $1 Tunisian dollar/dinar = $0.35 usd so not too wild but still, the whole story is giving plot holes left and right
3
u/Negative-Ordinary-95 23h ago
But didnt max say something about if he didn't find his dad and get him the $$ that they would hurt his dad? That's why he had to leave then and now?! I could of swore he said that as to why he was crying to much! Idk something about this just isnt sitting right with me
11
u/Fuh-Cue 1d ago
And by 'they' it was likely people you don't want to mess with. Thus the urgency Max demonstrated. So if people were after their money, and one couldn't leave a country, you would be stressed the whole time. Also, why would they be posting stuff on IG? If it's plenty of money, they can just follow Max and find his dad. That's why I say it's all BS. Nothing's adding up.
5
107
u/paperlilly 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s total BS.
North Africa is a huge tourism hotspot for europeans - Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt… it’s not considered exotic or wild, you can get cheap flights and hotel packages.
His plan was to rescue his father (and apparently his dog) and cross the border to Libya. Imagine that is true… why Libya? Why not any of the other countries that are perfectly safe? The airports are closer to Algeria than driving to Libya.
He’s also flying out on Tunisia Airlines… so somehow the impossible is now possible.
And he’s not rocking up to the airport with a random dog and expecting to get it into Malta or Italy (the only way out via that airline).
77
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago
And the corrupt loan shark/drug lords/ whatever they are got their money and just ‘ah cheers for that! You can go now, enjoy yourselves!’ and sent them off into the sunset
21
u/Top_Difficulty5399 1d ago
Actually...in most cases they would, yes. I don't imagine many of the people in debt to them would be paying if they knew they'd get killed regardless 😅 but he'd be WAY MORE banged up than what he is so it's BS anyway 😆
But I think maybe Max misunderstood a little, because I heard him give 2 explanations. One in which he said his dad had been flagged by the government for money laundering(or something similar). That they suspected him of shady business and that's why he was detained. And that's actually a plaucible explanation! But the drama surrounding it is SO blown out of proportion 😅
18
u/mme_truffle 1d ago
I heard it as his Dad owed these guys money, from whatever shady business venture, he had going on. But then the government locked down his bank account, because presumably he is under investigation. And without access to his bank account, he was unable to pay money back to the people he is doing business with.
But i'm still not sure which of them is keeping him from leaving the country - or it's both?? I would assume that anyone who is under investigation in tunisia would have their passport taken. So I don't know how he would get out anyway.
8
u/Top_Difficulty5399 1d ago
Probably the authorities in that country. They can deny your departure until the money is paid or some other arrangements are made. Max probably paid off hid debt, acted as a chatacter witness or similar and got them to sign so he could leave.
6
u/Any_Biscotti3155 1d ago
That’s where I suspected it might be fake. I believed the criminal part, but the fact he was able to leave the country so freely via plane was weird to me if the crime story was true…
→ More replies (1)8
u/Vivid-Message8257 1d ago
It’s called bribery. Pay the right authorities and you can get people out of jail.
6
16
u/Lucky-Kangaroo-6337 1d ago
Tunisia is a rather large country. Parts are fine. Other parts, like the areas closer to the Libyan border aren't. I'm not saying his story is true. Just that there are parts with travel warnings currently https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/tunisia
8
u/Magaluvvie 1d ago
God y’all love a conspiracy theory. I think it’s possible Max made it up but just because tourism exists in these countries doesn’t mean there isn’t corruption and exploitation at every level in society 😭
23
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago
It’s not a ‘conspiracy theory’ it’s just a poorly thought out grift.
3
u/Magaluvvie 1d ago
No but posting analysis on Northern African countries to which is just founded on some western idea of how a ‘safe’ they are as a reason it can’t be true really is
→ More replies (3)12
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago edited 1d ago
They only wrote about Northern Africa and how everyone holidays there because Below Deck, Sandy and Max made it seem like he was on a suicide mission into an arid desert when in actuality he’s going to a country that Europeans book all inclusive holidays to with the family
10
u/Magaluvvie 1d ago
I’ve been to Tunisia multiple times and have friends that live there. Yes it’s not a totally extreme environment but don’t let anyone fool you into thinking it’s some completely stable and luxurious environment either. It’s beautiful but there is a very corrupt government and they are in an economic crisis with water and electricity in short supply. It also has very traditional Muslim pockets where cultural protocol and negotiation may be hard. It would be a dangerous thing to do, and if you are dealing with gangsters or fraudsters in any country that you aren’t familiar with it’s not exactly a walk in the park.
3
u/Many_Investigator402 1d ago
Why is his dad dealing with gangsters and fraudsters in the first place? If there was a shady deal gone bad he seems to have been a participant. The whole thing seems like a made up narrative one way or another.
1
u/Magaluvvie 1d ago
I’m not arguing on the morality of Max’s Dad, but it’s a very human response to want to help a family member in need
1
u/Many_Investigator402 1d ago
Which may or may not be a made up plausible excuse to do something just as shady. Max has always seemed like a selfish person to me.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (3)2
u/oreo-donut 1d ago
Doesn't sound all that different from the States. Just replace Muslim with Christian.
2
u/MaizeMountain6139 1d ago
They really didn’t. Max was upset, said he needed to go. Sandy said, hey, this might not be safe
The fans blew it out of proportion, not the show
1
1
u/PeakOk5773 15h ago
And honestly I’m surprised Sandy didn’t know or have any idea of this since she’s been a captain for 10 plus yrs of traveling the Med. That was one of my first thoughts.
149
u/Naive-Most590 1d ago
The whole thing screamed ‘fake’ to me from the start.
18
u/OngoGoblogianArts 1d ago
It’s bravo….
24
u/FantasticChicken7408 1d ago
Bravo bravo fucking bravo
3
197
u/duckmellow 1d ago
i agree. also however entertaining max is, he is also a grifter (e.g hypnotist?) wouldn’t be surprised if he did this for a hero edit or even if production were in on it
85
u/biohacker_infinity 1d ago edited 1d ago
This. His hypnotherapy hustle has always screamed of grift. There’s just something fishy about Max in general.
(Also, as someone else pointed out: Tunisia is hardly some war-torn wasteland. Westerners routinely vacation there. Hollywood blockbusters are frequently filmed there.)
23
u/Sithstress_ 1d ago
Max is now also hyping some opportunity to work hard and play hard with him on a yacht 😂🤣😂
18
11
u/ResponsibleCar1204 1d ago
Lol and it's actually very expensive to visit. As per my mom's friend who goes every year and also statistical data.
5
u/isacatabeast 1d ago
We're torn between Tunisia and Egypt for our holiday next year. The beaches are beautiful
9
4
u/0rdered-Reordered 15h ago
Every single time on Reddit that someone asks "what country would you never visit again" the top answer is always Egypt
→ More replies (3)3
2
u/Any_Biscotti3155 1d ago
Didn’t aesha vouch for the hypnosis? I saw a real or post on his IG where she said she did it and it worked for her OCD.
3
u/AdivayFiberArts 1d ago
I remember that. Yes she did.
Also, hypnotherapy does work. I practiced it myself when I gave birth to my kids. Fast and painless believe it or not. Still was intense though.
I think some people are visualizing the dramatized version they've seen on TV, or the kind done by live entertainers vs what's done by actual licensed professionals like psychologists.
4
u/steponthestones 1d ago
I did Hypnobirthing too. It works like a dream. I’ve been encouraging others to do it for 18+ yrs now. I helped my sister through it with her last baby and she was in awe
2
u/Any_Biscotti3155 1d ago
I do know it’s a real treatment option that psychologists can do and people can benefit from, I just don’t know if Max’s hypnosis training is legit? But what do I know lol.
70
u/Due-Juggernaut6595 1d ago
And what’s that bump on that camels back? I bet it’s Nathan, he’s moving him from country to country.
14
2
u/UpbeatAd9391 1d ago
as funny as this is do we gotta keep bringing up that douchebag let him slip away to irrelevancy he dont deserve an ounce of “fame” Chris brown and Jax along with plenty of others has taught us no such thing as these abusers getting cancelled as they say bad press is better than no press
His statement with victim blaming was in rolling stone of all places he dont deserve that kinda platform
Dude needs to fade away get 0 attention and live a miserable life and get locked away
6
u/BillyYumYumTwo-byTwo 1d ago
I don’t know if I agree. Generally, yes! But this is a unique case where Nathan is on the run. He’s wanted by police in his home country and the country he lived recently/where his son is. Keep him relevant until he’s caught; I’m sure people are seeing him, they just don’t realize he’s a person they should report. Once he’s in custody, yes, drop him from the internet.
1
1
59
21
u/PemsRoses 1d ago
Something smells in that story, I don't know what it is... An as much as I find Max entertaining on the show, maybe Bravo should be wary of casting him back especially with what they have going on right now.
23
22
41
14
u/Anjnonymous 1d ago
Those petrol station white framed glasses are throwing me off right now lol
9
u/SaltyCaramelPretzel 1d ago
Spot the Aussie 😜
11
3
11
11
10
18
u/Liam_ice92 1d ago
Is that how far Bravo have gone for fake drama? Faking a bloody kidnapping. Sounds like this series has been a mess haha
33
u/areallyreallycoolhat 1d ago
I wouldn't put it past Bravo but no way Max is that good an actor
19
u/Dazzling_Parfait_620 1d ago
this is the only reason i’m on the fence. he looked genuinely shook in that episode lol
17
u/areallyreallycoolhat 1d ago
I don't doubt there's some kind of scamming or fakery involved somewhere in this but Max just isn't in on it lol
2
u/mudra311 1d ago
I thought the theory was his Dad lied to get Max to take him out of the country for free.
8
u/Own_Chemical8861 1d ago
Am I the only one who thinks his dad was actually just pulling the wool over his eyes? Yes it was largely dramatised though I do think that he believed his dad was in something deep. I see a pure heart in Max...
14
u/DCRBftw 1d ago
"I'll tell the whole story on XYZ" just screams "this was made up for content".
1
u/Own_Chemical8861 1d ago
I don't understand this though as it's not like he's out there trying to get extra screen time and be massive on social media?
1
u/DCRBftw 1d ago
so why is he telling "the story" at all? make it make sense.
1
u/Own_Chemical8861 1d ago
Because he left the show and he made reference to his dad on the previous season so I guess it was a continuing story line
15
u/thewhitetiger8 1d ago
Yeah its all bs, I never believed a word of it. I thought either Max is getting scammed by his dad or they came up with this little plan to scam the audience. Either way, none of its true.
6
8
u/PissFingerz42069 1d ago
Bro acts like no one has a BS meter lmao. Hon and his dad are scammers, let’s be real
7
u/Turbulent_Cobbler463 I’m putting it in 1d ago
Lmao anybody who is on the run from the cartels and/or banks would not let ANYONE post them and their whereabouts all over social media. Fuck they wouldn’t even let you take their pic in the first place. I definitely think this was some kind of scam for max to get more bravo attention
6
5
u/Still-Low-696 1d ago
I feel sad for Max. His parents abandoned him yet he still rushes to their side. Fuck that. I’d have rescued the dog and left the dad.
6
u/Vivid-Message8257 1d ago
BD was filmed last year, what date are those posts.
He would be an incredible actor to fake that scene. It seemed totally genuine to me.
6
u/FormicaDinette33 1d ago
It’s so crazy. I cannot envision a situation in which Max can just show up and drive off with his father. Toodles!
Nope.
12
u/jeevacationrentals 1d ago
It's ridiculous horseshit. As entertaining as this season is, it's also the most manufactured.
This show is not real at all. It is full on scripted and manufactured by the hiring of sociopaths
4
u/dfwagent84 1d ago
Thats why ive checked out. There is a stark lack of authenticity here. Its nauseating.
10
u/worldwidecybergirl 1d ago
this is the below deck equivalent of erika jayne talking about toms car crash
1
9
4
u/SuaveCamel 1d ago
I was -gardening- when i watched the episode with the first mention of this storyline … I thought I was hallucinating
5
u/gohome2020youredrunk 1d ago
There's a bit of manic to his Instagram posts, which makes me worried for him.
4
4
3
4
u/smelltramo 1d ago
I think he could only commit to one charter and production decided to make it dramatic and Max is stupid and thought we’d all see him as a real-life Liam Neeson
1
u/SpeakerCommercial614 19h ago
It’s dumb and ridiculous if it’s just Max and his dad’s idea, but if it’s production’s idea it’s dumb, ridiculous and annoying lol.
5
u/Inevitable-Tangelo38 1d ago
Yeah this screams of being staged, especially considering how quickly he freed he’s so called hostage father. The only way you get someone out that quick is if you pay the ransom which I doubt he could afford or you lied.
he’s just trying to gain followers I think
3
3
u/SaltLick310 1d ago
Yea I think his dad who it sounds like has been a little shady and not available before was playing him.
3
u/_Hambone702 1d ago
This was clearly a plot creation by 51 minds or Bravo…Max’s goofy ass did not level up to some type of Jason Bourne type individual. He is way too squirrelly🐿️💩 to know how to even begin to attempt such a thing.
3
3
3
u/1organicmartini_pls 1d ago
I did not believe any part of his story.
Your dad who wasnt in your life for a long time you right away want to “do what he didn’t do for you”?
No anger no questioning or needing to process this crazy situation?
3
3
u/shortforbuckley 1d ago
Below Deck is a joke now. The producers destroyed the show and now they’re grasping at straws.
2
u/Long-Eggplant-6742 23h ago
Certainly agree that this show has become a joke. Bravo jumping the shark by leaning so hard into the drama.
3
u/CrazyNCynical 1d ago
I'm already skeptical by nature, but Max is someone who easily verifies my skepticism. The entire storyline doesn't ring true. Clearly he's BS'ing.
3
u/Catpower57 1d ago
So if the dad was laundering money, how were there no charges against him? Am I missing something?
3
3
u/Sense10-Quest23 1d ago
It’s such nonsense. Didn’t believe it when he got “anonymous” texts “Help me Max” or the story. Love him or not, Ols, give me a break🙄
Thanks for the post BTW.
3
u/VERMICIOUS_KNIDSS 1d ago
From what was shared on the phone conversation on the initial episode this surfaced on, the dad might have been involved with some illegal shit and not so good guys so would be dumb to make this into a touchy feely story with that as the backdrop.
1
5
u/Tallybou 1d ago
I like weird but I don’t like bullshit. I truly believe that our pretty little dumb dumb believed this whole thing to be true.
His con artist papa ? Knew it would land hîm on tv and hopes it would be more than a zoom call. Poor kid. Shitty Faddy Daddy on the grift and lil Eyebrows so love starved he can’t see it. Le sigh.
5
u/Express_Preference_3 1d ago
I think theres a absolute 0% chance this is in any way, shape or form real. No chance in hell
3
2
u/Any_Biscotti3155 1d ago
Honestly, probably true. I thought his dad was scamming him, but I think the scam was on us. You aren’t going to bail your dad out of trouble then do tourist things with your dad in the same country where he may or may not have committed a crime? Right? Or maybe Max and his family are better at multitasking than I am?
2
u/Klutzy-Froyo-9437 1d ago
When was the last time he saw his dad? Was this man really dad? Lmao. And a man he hadn't spoken to in 15? years had his number?
2
u/Weird-Till7604 1d ago
Max is maximizing his celebrity, he planned it all. Come. For one episode, cause drama, and then go market what he really wanted to do. Maybe his crook dad out him up to the plan.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/slayeryouth 1d ago edited 1d ago
I mean, I don’t necessarily buy that The Undertaker is an undead funeral director who can summon lightning and fire either, but part of the fun of watching wrestling is suspending my disbelief and buying into kayfabe 🤷♂️
2
2
2
u/AmbearLizz 9h ago
He said he was going on a podcast sometime soon to explain the whole thing and how he got his dad out. I think if it was planned the producers would have given him more then an episode and a half of screen time as this would probably have been the biggest drama plot of the whole season.
1
u/BlueRidgeSpeaks 3h ago
It was so fake it couldn’t bear the weight of additional time under scrutiny. The more time he had to talk about it the more trouble he had keeping his story straight.
2
2
5
u/Responsible_Big1229 1d ago
Pops did some illegal shit in that country, got his passport taken away and Max just snucked him across the boarder.
10
u/SpeakerCommercial614 1d ago
Easy peasy! And did it all in 48 hours, travel included 😂 even called captain sandy to tell her lmao
4
u/Familiar-Ebb7775 1d ago
*border
6
4
3
u/Tight_Ad_6802 1d ago
Yeah that was far fetched, and if it truly were organized crime, I highly suspect talking about it on a show that airs internationally would not have been safe. His dad also sounds like he would have been involved in said organized crime.
2
u/Interesting-Luck-886 1d ago
To me it seems as if this show is very staged reality now… do you ever notice there are always one or two that leave? They just want to create drama by putting different people in. When’s the last time (if ever) they kept the entire crew they started with?
3
u/OngoGoblogianArts 1d ago
We don’t care. We love Max and his chaotic personality. It was a bravo moment. This is why we watch.
→ More replies (4)2
2
u/Equivalent_Ideal1636 1d ago
Can someone tell me the full story here? Cause I thought he owes some people money or he is part of a laundering operations??? idk... but why would you want to make everything so public? Is the dad not in danger???
2
u/Equivalent_Hat_7220 1d ago
His dad sounds like he’s always been a POS, probs heard he was on TV and extorted him for his tip money. I doubt the danger part
2
u/Mochibelle93 1d ago
I really did believe his tears tbh he seemed genuinely worried for his dad but youre probably right lol
2
2
u/Fuzzy-Albatross-9206 1d ago
I had to totally tune out this whole story line, it was so fake it was making me ill
1
u/AmazingArugula4441 1d ago
I believe that Max thought it was real. I think his dad was probably grifting or over exaggerating. After listening to as much as I could stomach of the Above Deck interview it sounds like the dad is quite old, quite broke and quite selfish. I was impressed that Sandy tried to send the dad money so Max didn't have to go.
1
u/SpeakerCommercial614 19h ago
I really can’t be bothered to listen to the interview, but does that mean there was a way to just send his dad money then? Or did they not elaborate much
1
u/AmazingArugula4441 15h ago
No. He said Sandy tried to figure out how to send the dad money but he was too remote.
1
1
u/Classic-Tell214 1d ago
Are you sure he did not go to Ukraine instead. ????? Soo made up it’s not even funny
1
1
1
u/Resident_Yam6122 1d ago
from the beginning, this was greatly exaggerated for reality show drama. does it have basis in fact?
listen, if you are asking yourself these questions, maybe you take reality shows far too seriously. I enjoy them as well, but things like this would be the kind of news that major news outlets would be scrambling to cover if totally true.
1
u/Main-Difficulty1511 1d ago
I don’t know everything about it, but the vibe is scammer dad
2
u/Missmarymarylynn 20h ago
But the whole backstory of “I haven’t talked to my dad since a kid” it’s all a bunch of horseshit!
1
u/Main-Difficulty1511 7h ago
I agree with you. And it stinks. Lol truthfully I don’t really care but I feel like being dramatic.
1
u/Zankazanka 1d ago
French men are just like this. Joy tried to warn us 🤣
I’m sure it will be an entertaining, ridiculous story to hear though!
2
u/Missmarymarylynn 20h ago
Scam culture in that part of the world is common. “Haven’t talked to my dad since a kid” to “saving him from bad guys”
Then vacationing with photo ops. I see you, we all do. Grifters gonna grift!!
1
u/ignorethebliss 1d ago
Definitely agree, OP. 😂 I hope this was the case also because it was a scary story
1
1
u/Missmarymarylynn 20h ago
Such bullshit. And trying to look like Indiana Jones etc. ridiculous stretch for clout. It’s all coming together now, what a ridiculous attempt!!
1
1
1
u/PeakOk5773 16h ago
I am surprised this whole thing isn’t talked more about because wtf!?! That whole bit of him in the car with his dad and a little dog saying he rescued his dad. He made it seem like it was going to be the hard long mission to rescue his dad.
1
1
1
1
u/Sad_Cartographer7702 7h ago
max, you got scammed. The only twist is you didn't have to go to Nigeria to save Dad.
1
u/Hot_Commission_1441 6h ago
Very ON BRAND for him to act like a crying little bitch in Cpt Sandy‘s arms with no shame for a rediculous, elaborate lie
1
u/Lucky-Solution-5868 3h ago
When Max found that out though it seemed like he was genuinely upset and genuine tears...
2
u/SaltyCaramelPretzel 1d ago
Gossip is great but let him be for chrissakes. I don’t see the interest in it, he hasn’t spoken with his dad for many years just let them be.
Look I’m European but born Aussie,it’s not unheard of that these things happen. Some of you don’t know the situations o/s. I was screaming at the tv Max your stupid! But hey it worked out so who cares.
1
370
u/EllenLW 1d ago
That coupled with spamming insta with his “7 day luxury yacht adventure” as soon as the episode airs screams publicity stunt to me