Below Deck season 11’s Bosun Ben Willoughby was in a boatmance throughout the season, but after it came to a close, he offered a shocking update about his relationship with Marie “Sunny” Marquis. Ben and Sunny’s boatmance was an exciting relationship to watch on Below Deck season 11. The pair connected quickly, getting together within the first few charters of the season, but neither were looking for anything overly serious. Though there were ups and downs throughout the charter season for the couple, they eventually wound up realizing they wanted to try their relationship on land, leaving St. David together.
“Yes you guessed it, we are still together!"
After the finale of Below Deck season 11 finished airing, Ben shared a shocking update about his relationship with Sunny on his Instagram. Posting a sweet photo of himself and Sunny, Ben shared that the pair are still happily together after the charter season. “Yes we are still dating,” Ben captioned a photo of the pair.
He shared an Instagram post later on, writing, “Yes you guessed it, we are still together! Finally we can let go of the secrecy that has been held for the last 15 months.” Ben and Sunny’s boatmance was the start to an even deeper connection.
Ben & Sunny’s Boatmance, Explained
Throughout Below Deck season 11, Ben and Sunny’s relationship was the one constant aboard the superyacht. While it wasn’t always clear if they were going to be operating positively or negatively throughout each episode, the pair was always a topic of conversation. Early on, Ben was clear that he wasn’t interested in a boatmance. He shared after Below Deck season 10 had pushed him to his limits, he wasn’t going to be vulnerable with someone again. After meeting Sunny, Ben quickly changed his tune, and the two connected. Ben and Sunny had an ease with each other from the start.
After a few charters, Sunny shared with Ben that while she knew they weren’t exclusive, she did want to put some boundaries in place to make her feel more comfortable. Sunny didn’t appreciate the way Ben treated other women in front of her, even knowing his affections weren’t romantic for other women like Xandi Olivier or Paris Field. Ben didn’t understand the issue, which pushed the pair away from each other for a time, but they ultimately found their footing and came back together. After dealing with their own turbulence, Ben and Sunny found themselves closer than ever.
After over a year off the St. David together, Below Deck’s Ben and Sunny have shared that the boatmance they began on the series has blossomed into a beautiful relationship. The couple has been together for over a year, traveling the world and seeing each other whenever possible. Ben even shared that Sunny joined his family in Australia for Christmas in 2023, making it clear that this Below Deck boatmance has turned into a full-blown romance on land.
Below Deck is available to stream on Peacock.
