Bárbara Reveals New Details on Jess Theron Split: “Felt Like a Punch to the Stomach”
Below Deck‘s Bárbara Kulaif shared where she stands with Jess Theron and Solène Favreau after their unseen drama.
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Bárbara Kulaif and Jess Theron’s relationship ended almost as soon as filming wrapped on Below Deck Season 12. Now, Bárbara is shedding new light on the breakup — including what went wrong in their rocky boatmance — after cameras stopped rolling.
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As evidenced by their goodbye kiss while disembarking St. David, Bárbara and Jess were “still together” as of the Season 12 finale, as far as the former was concerned, anyway. The stew was also under the impression that Jess still intended to follow through with flying to New York, where Bárbara was based at the time, to continue exploring their romance.
By the time they reached their hotel on Sint Maarten, though, Bárbara’s lingering suspicions about Jess and Solène Favreau played a major role in them swiftly changing course.
“As viewers saw in the final episode, she was no longer planning to go to New York, as she had been saying before,” Bárbara explained to The Daily Dish, before detailing a fight that occurred in Jess’s hotel room. “We had an argument because, in my heart, I still felt there was something unresolved between her and Solène. That’s when I decided to end things.”
After Bárbara apparently broke up with Jess, she “unexpectedly crossed paths” with Solène in the hallway, while walking back to her own room.
“I told her I was upset about how everything had ended, but that it was for the best — for my peace of mind,” Bárbara recalled of the chance run-in. “The next morning, as we were heading to the vans, Solène opened the door to Jess’s hotel room wearing only a pillow in front of everyone. It was very clear they had spent the night together. It felt like a punch to the stomach, but it also gave me the certainty that I had made the right choice.”
Where Bárbara Kulaif and Jess Theron stand today after Below Deck Season 12
And, no, the exes didn’t remain friends, either. Post-split, Bárbara exclusively shared the update, “I haven’t kept in touch with Jess.”
As she elaborated, “Watching the season back honestly gave me a sense of relief, because it confirmed that I was right all along about the way Jess treated me.”
Jess Theron and Barbara Kulaif in their Below Deck Season 12 press portraits.
Photo: Bravo
Bárbara previously announced the breakup on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’s Sept. 8 episode, at which point she revealed that she had initially blocked both Jess and Solène on social media. After some time had passed, though, Bárbara eventually met Jess’ new girlfriend, Katie, whom she referred to as a “really lovely girl.”
Days later, however, Bárbara said she wanted to “set the record straight” about her WWHL appearance, adding, “I truly didn’t expect to talk about what happened, but the topic came up.”
Jess Theron speaks out on her and Bárbara Kulaif’s breakup
Jess, for her part, reacted to Bárbara’s candor with host Andy Cohen in a Reddit comment, while also sharing her side of the breakup story.
“Barbara ended things right after cameras stopped filming,” Jess posted on Sept. 9. “It upset me and we fought, she ignored me and cancelled our plans to go to New York together. Whatever I do after she ended things was none of her business.”
Jess also claimed to have “receipts and messages” to support her version of events.
“However I don’t believe getting into this on live television is anyway to go about it,” she continued. “I am very happy with my girlfriend, and that’s enough for me tbh.”
Is Bárbara Kulaif dating anyone now?
Bárbara also exclusively revealed her current relationship status, sharing with The Daily Dish, “I’m not dating anyone at the moment.”
She added, “Right now, I’m taking a break from yachts and living in Brazil, enjoying my friends and family.”
Where Bárbara Kulaif and Solène Favreau’s friendship stands today
Breakup heartache aside, Bárbara noted that one-time “really good friend” Solène’s part in the drama “hurt” her, too.
“In the end, the deepest sadness comes not from someone you were only seeing for a few weeks, but from realizing it’s the people you considered friends who hurt you the most,” Bárbara said in her interview. “I also want to make it clear that I didn’t share my story to create hate toward anyone — I simply told the truth of what happened.”
As Bárbara previously shared on WWHL, she hasn’t cut off Solène completely, though.
“We keep in touch,” she said of her fellow stew on the show. “I think she really thinks we are still good friends — and maybe we are good friends — but friends I would never bring home to parents.”
Ultimately, she thought Solène was a “100 percent” a better match for Jess than she was anyway, concluding, “They both need to grow up together.”
Now that the final charter has officially sailed, find out what else the Below Deck cast set the record straight on after Season 12.
