Malia White opens up about Hannah Ferrier’s departure from Below Deck Med and fan backlash

Malia White is opening up about Hannah Ferrier’s departure from Below Deck Mediterranean and the fan backlash she has endured this season.

The bosun has come under fire for reporting Hannah for having valium to Captain Sandy, the fit she threw over cabin assignments, and her alleged plan to have her chef boyfriend Tom Checketts join The Wellington crew.

Now, as the outrage over Hannah’s exit and Malia’s part in it explodes all over social media, the bosun is speaking out.

Following protocol

Malia spoke to Vanity Fair about the drug drama and sticking to her guns that she was following protocol. The bosun explained she knew Hannah was taking some pills nightly. It wasn’t until the panic attack did Malia notice the valium.

The reason it took her hours to send the text message was that Malia was figuring out how to proceed.

“This is my first time having to do this, and there’s a lot going on onboard. You’ve got the filming crew, you’ve got crew, you’ve got all these moving parts,” she said. “And obviously I’m worried about the ramifications of it being on TV. But ultimately, I knew I had to do something because, most importantly, on a boat, crew, and safety come first.

Although she doesn’t regret her actions, Malia does believe some of the language she used on-air while dealing with Hannah was insensitive. For example, calling Hannah’s panic attack a “freak out” was wrong.

Malia fully admits she didn’t know what Hannah’s medical condition was, and she should have handled speaking about it more delicately. She says it was a huge learning curve.

A new kind of criticism

The bosun is no stranger to fan backlash. After all, she was involved in one of Below Deck Med’s most infamous love triangles with Adam Glick and Wes Walton. However, enduring the wrath of fans for her treatment of Hannah is a whole new kind of criticism for Malia.

She reminds fans there is more to the crew members than the characters viewers see on TV. The reason Malia keeps explaining maritime law is that yachting is her job. It is not just for fun to be on a television show. There is more at stake for the crew than the friendship onboard the yacht.

As for the valium drama with Hannah, that too was just Malia doing her job.

“It has never been my intention to be out to get someone. I’m honestly just trying to do my job properly and look out for everyone on board,” she expressed.

Malia White wants to come back for another season of Below Deck Mediterranean. Thanks to the love triangle and now Hannah Ferrier getting fired, both her seasons have been drama-filled. Malia would like to have one chill season on the Bravo show.

Below Deck Mediterranean airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.