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What Happened Between Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux And Dani Soares On Below Deck Sailing Yacht?

Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux and Dani Soares' boatmance on Season 2 of "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" was one of the messiest in "Below Deck" history. The two met during their first and only season and after some flirting, they took their relationship to the next level, per Screen Rant . Soares, who is eight years older than Cerza-Lanaux, was clear that she wanted something serious and even hinted to him about having a baby together, via Us Weekly . "I want to have babies, I want to get married. Do you want to do that? Let's have sex tonight. And if I get pregnant? That's God's will," she told Cerza-Lanaux in an episode.

Cerza-Lanaux and Soares left "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" Season 2 together and it looked as if they were ready to take their romance onto land. Fans were curious to know if their relationship survived after the show. Cerza-Lanaux told Meaww , "Me and Dani aboard Parsifal found an escape you could say in one another ... I think the viewers are going to see how things pan out between me and Dani really soon so I don't want to spill the beans yet, you guys just have to stay tuned." In April 2021, Soares revealed on Instagram that she was pregnant and many wondered if Cerza-Lanaux was the father , which she surprisingly revealed during the Season 2 reunion.

Dani Soares named Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux as the father of her baby

During the "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" Season 2 reunion, Dani Soares stated that Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux was indeed the father of her baby. "Well, let's put it this way, this baby was made during the season while we had cameras 24/7 with us and I only slept with one guy," Soares stated, via ET . She then told host Andy Cohen that Cerza-Lanaux didn't think the baby was his and said that he "doesn't want to have anything to do with it." Soares read a text from him: "Don't go around telling people I'm the dad of this child. And I want a DNA test."

In a separate conversation with Andy Cohen during the reunion, Cerza-Lanaux stated that he wanted to be involved in the baby's life and would even move to Australia where Soares lives, per Us Weekly . In May 2021, Soares announced the arrival of her baby girl on Instagram . "She is here. She is perfect. And we trying to figure this thing out."

The following June, Cerza-Lanaux posted on Instagram , "There's a lot of gossip about my social media silence so I think it's time to clear the air ... I am working on a yacht in Central America and heartbroken to have to hear about the baby's birth on social media and read headlines ... All I can say is if she's mine, I want to be involved 100%." Suffice it to say, fans were not happy with the deckhand.

Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux finally took a paternity test

Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux angered fans yet again when he posted a baby picture of himself on Instagram and made excuses for why he didn't want to take a paternity test. In January 2022, he finally confirmed that he was the father of Dani Soares' baby. "I can't let 2022 go any further without sharing some beautiful news. An international DNA test that was done awhile ago was no small feat. I'm happy and proud to say Sweet and beautiful Lilly rose is my daughter," he wrote on Instagram . He went on to say that he and Soares had been talking and he had every intention of being in his daughter's life.

Unfortunately, it seems as if Cerza-Lanaux did not step up to the plate after the paternity reveal. His "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" castmates expressed their disappointment in him. "She has not received a single piece of financial, let alone moral, support from JL. His deceptive Instagram post was an absolutely false portrayal of his and her relationship as 'coparents,'" Colin MacRae told Us Weekly . Gary King also alleged that Cerza-Lanaux was an absent father. "It's all good in saying stuff on social media but words are completely different to actions and if his actions spoke louder than his words, then it would be different, but at the moment they're not."

As of now, Soares is raising Lilly in Australia as a single mother while Cerza-Lanaux is living his best life traveling the world, per his Instagram .

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We Have an Update on Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux and Dani Soares

The Below Deck Sailing Yacht deckhand shares the results of "an international DNA test" he took after the stew welcomed a daughter last spring.

After taking a break from social media, Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux returned to Instagram on January 19 to share the latest on his relationship with Dani Soares , including the results of a paternity test.

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Jean-Luc previously shared at the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 virtual reunion (clip above) that he requested to have a DNA test performed after Dani, whom he was romantically involved with last season , told him that she was pregnant and that he was the father. Although Dani agreed to it, Jean-Luc had yet to take a paternity test at the time of the reunion taping, where he appeared separately from the rest of the crew in a solo conversation with host Andy Cohen . Dani would later welcome her first child , daughter Lilly , following the reunion taping in late May.

The deckhand began his Instagram post, which Jean-Luc had tagged in Panama, by explaining his absence from social media after last posting in June. "As the year 2021 came to a close[, a] new year in 2022 begins with high ambitions and positivity," his message began. "My silence on social media has been intentional and much needed. I used that time to focus on what was important to me and my mental health."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux (@jeanluc_cerza_lanaux)

He then went on to share that he did end up taking a paternity test, of which he also revealed the results. "I can’t let 2022 go any further without sharing some beautiful news. An international DNA test that was done [a while] ago was no small feat," Jean-Luc said. "I’m happy and proud to say Sweet and beautiful Lilly [Rose] is my daughter."

Jean-Luc and Dani were not on speaking terms at the time of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 reunion. However, Jean-Luc shared that their relationship has much improved since then. "Dani and I have been working and communicating together to the best of our ability," he said. "Given Dani is a full time mother and worker, and I being gone for extended periods of time not knowing when I will step back on land [this] is imperative for the sake of our daughter as she needs both parents in her life."

"With that being said, going forward, I will no longer feel the need to explain myself to anybody, when realizing people only understand from their level of perception," he added.

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Jean-Luc ended his note feeling optimistic about his next chapter. "I am thankful for my friends [and] family who have stuck by my side through thick and thin," he wrote. "As I look forward to this new year with new opportunities, I will be striving to be the best man and father that I can be. God bless."

After the Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2 charter season ended, Dani relocated to Australia and started working as a beauty therapist while also studying to become a nurse , on top of raising Lilly. Dani, who has also been rocking a shorter 'do as of late , often shares updates on her life with her little one on Instagram, including celebrating Lilly turning 6 months old in November and her very first Christmas . "You've changed my life in so many ways," Dani gushed on Instagram on November 26. "I hope I never have to tell you that you are my number 1 priority, I hope my actions will always show you that."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dani Soares (@iamdanisoares)

Dani was also excited to see what the future holds for her and Lilly as she reflected on 2021 in a New Year's Eve Instagram post . "WHAT.A.YEAR!!! Hoping for health, peace and many more blessings in 2022!" she wrote alongside a video of some of her most memorable moments of 2021. "We are ready."

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht 's Dani Soares & Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux Air Out Their Baby Drama

During part two of the below deck sailing yacht reunion, dani soares and jean-luc cerza-lanaux discussed their baby drama, including the status of a paternity test..

Below Deck baby drama.

During part two of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht season two reunion, which aired tonight, June 22 on Bravo, Dani Soares and Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux gave an update on their relationship status and discussed the unconfirmed paternity of the stewardess' daughter Lilly .

As E! News readers well know, Dani surprised Below Deck fans when she announced in April that she was going to be a mom. Before long, fans began wondering if her former co-star was the father.

And, as Dani shared in the new episode, she's pretty confident that the season two deckhand, often called JL, is the father of her daughter, telling reunion host Andy Cohen , "Well, let's put it this way, this baby was made during the season while we had cameras 24/7 with us and I only slept with one guy, so…"

As she continued, Dani claimed that her ex hasn't supported her throughout the pregnancy. "He thinks it's not his child," she added. "And he doesn't want to have anything to do with it."

Per the Bravo personality, she learned she was pregnant upon returning to Australia after filming. "I told him, and he was obviously a bit shocked and everything, but he seemed supportive," she noted. "He told me he would support me, whatever I decided to do. So, he was supportive in the beginning, and then it just changed. Like, around December things just changed, and he was just not interested anymore."

Apparently, on New Year's, Dani received a text that allegedly read: "Don't go around telling people I'm the dad of this child. And I want a DNA test." According to Dani, she agreed to the DNA test as long as Jean-Luc organized and paid for it.

"He hasn't done anything," she revealed. "I asked him again. But, since January, he's asked about the baby like, twice or three times."

To make matters worse, after a "horrible comment" allegedly made by Jean-Luc's mom, Dani now has "zero interest" in the family being "involved in [her] child's life."

However, in his own interview with Andy, Jean-Luc hit back that, if he is the father, he has every intention to be involved in Lilly's life. "The fact that people are telling me that I want nothing to do with this child, it's really tearing me up," he snapped. "All my friends and all my family know the type of person that I am and know that I want everything to do with that child…If it is mine."

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Jean-Luc defended that he still didn't know for sure whether Lilly, who was not born yet at the time of taping, was his child. On the status of the paternity test, Jean-Luc relayed, "There was talk of a DNA test, and I still want to do it…We've gone as far as me trying to reach out to her doctor's office."

Later on, Jean-Luc claimed he wanted to be present at the birth, noting, "The fact of me knowing that this could possibly be my child and not being there for the birth is f--king killing me."

After watching his co-stars' feelings on the drama, Jean-Luc asked them to not "judge a book by its cover." He went on to confess that he even considered moving to Australia. "I've thought about every possible avenue, every f--king avenue, and I just haven't come up with one yet," he said. "To Dani, what we had on the show, for me, was real. I don't care what anybody says, even now that we're going through what we're going through."

Jean-Luc went on to call their relationship a "genuine" one and offered up an apology. "The fact that we are at where we are now, I'm really sorry," he remarked. "I would assume to say that most of it is my fault. Maybe, because I'm the boy that you think that I am."

Before concluding, he declared that he wanted to be there for Dani and wanted to co-parent Lilly, if she is his daughter.

For more episodes in the Below Deck franchise, be sure to head to Peacock .

(E!, Bravo and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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Part 2 of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht reunion on Tuesday confirmed that Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux is indeed the father of Dani Soares' baby. Dani gave birth to daughter Lilly in May, and told ET  that fans would get paternity answers during the special.

"Well, let's put it this way, this baby was made during the season while we had cameras 24/7 with us and I only slept with one guy," Dani told Andy Cohen during the special, which was filmed before Lilly's birth. 

However, Dani said J.L. "thinks it's not his child... And he doesn't want to have anything to do with it."

The former stewardess added that J.L. was "supportive in the beginning, and then it just changed." She said that on New Year's, she received a text from J.L. reading, "Don't go around telling people I'm the dad of this child. And I want a DNA test."

Dani said that she agreed to a DNA test as long J.L. paid for and organized it, but he hasn't followed through. J.L. -- who wasn't present with the rest of the cast but filmed an interview for the reunion separately -- said he hoped he and Dani could "co-parent together." 

“Dani, what we had on the show for me was real. I don’t care what anybody says, even now that we’re going through what we are going through. What I felt for you, and the time that we had, was genuine. Everything that I ever said to you was true," he said in an emotional message to Dani. 

"I need you to know that I did support your decision and still do," he continued. "I really hope that we can co-parent together and have respect for one another like we did." 

While J.L. admitted that "most" of what Dani said about the paternity drama was true, and said "for my peace of mind I just wanted to know."

"There was talk of a DNA test," he confirmed. "We've gone as far as me trying to reach out to her doctor's office. I don't think lawyers need to get involved. That is not the avenue I want to go." 

"I understand why she took it poorly because in her mind I might be the only person she’s ever been with," he added. "If that's the case, I told her, I really do apologize, but for my peace of mind I just wanted to know."

After Dani welcomed Lilly in May, J.L. wrote on Instagram that he found out about the baby's birth on social media. 

"There's a lot of gossip about my social media silence so I think it’s time to clear the air. While others are off chasing their 15 minutes of fame, I am working on a yacht in Central America and heartbroken to have to hear about the baby's birth on social media and read headlines like 'Dani Soares Says Her Baby's Father Doesn’t Want Anything to Do With It.' All I can say is if she's mine, I want to be involved 100 percent."

"As someone who grew up with parents who weren't together, I wouldn't wish that on any child," he added. "Not looking for a pity party. Just want everyone to know how strongly I feel about this, especially the haters who are so sure I am neglecting my responsibility. No one wants to know more than me if this is my baby girl!"

In an interview with ET just before J.L.'s post, Dani said she "would never" deny her daughter's father from being in her life. 

"I would never deny a father seeing their daughter," she said. "That's horrendous. … For Lilly’s sake, I know it would have been much better for her to know that her dad actually wants to meet her and wants to know her, than growing up knowing that he didn't really do anything about it."

See more in the video below. 

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Jean-Luc Is Easily the Tallest Yachtie in 'Below Deck' History

PUBLISHED Mar. 8 2021, 8:49 p.m. ET

Fans of Bravo's Below Deck were relieved when a brand new season of Sailing Yacht premiered on March 1.

But by and large, viewers of the maritime Bravo series grew concerned when it appeared deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux could barely fit in Captain Glenn's Parsifal III.

So, who is Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux? Keep reading for everything you need to know about Below Deck Sailing Yacht 's crazy tall deckie, including how to follow him on Instagram and whether or not he has a girlfriend.

Who is Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux on 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht'?

When we're first introduced to Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux, Captain Glenn Shepard remarks the new crew member is "not just tall. He's beyond tall. He's, like, super tall." We watch as the almost 7-foot-tall deckhand towers over Parsifal's captain and every other yachtie on board.

But at first, his height doesn't seem to be cause for concern. "I'm pumped that this is working out," Jean-Luc says upon arrival when he realizes he doesn't have to crouch to walk comfortably under the ceiling. "That was my biggest concern and biggest worry."

However, by the end of the first night, things decidedly take a turn for the worse when the self-described "tallest deckhand in yachting" can't comfortably fit in his 74-inch long bed. 

"I've been very fortunate that every boat I've worked on so far, I've fit in the bed," he says, though that's not the case on this season's Parsifal III.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux (@jeanluc_cerza_lanaux)

"I feel so bad for Jean-Luc," one  Below Deck  fan wrote on Twitter after the  Sailing Yacht 's sophomore season premiere. "There's not much that's worse than not being able to sleep when exhausted."

The lack of sleep is already proving to be a problem for the youngest crew member. 

Over the course of the season premiere, we watched as Jean-Luc made some careless errors, like inadvertently pouring gasoline all over the deck when he thought it was cleaning product, as well as some slightly bigger blunders. 

For example, first mate Gary King was visibly upset when he realized that Jean-Luc didn't wrap up everything that had to be done before the charter guests' arrival. Later, Jean-Luc seemingly lost two guests on their paddleboards while busy chatting up Nikki, the primary guest.

Does Jean-Luc get fired from 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht'? Plus, is he single?

Fans on Twitter are already placing their bets as to whether or not Jean-Luc will be the first yachtie asked to leave Parsifal III this season. Over on Reddit , one viewer writes, "I don't know how this 6'9" fool has made it this long in yachting. Clearly never been on a sailboat before, because this is as big as it gets and he still doesn't fit!"

Another suggests that Jean-Luc — who you can follow on Instagram @jeanluc_cerza_lanaux — is "clearly lying about his experience," which leads us to wonder whether his flubs, in addition to his inability to get a good night's sleep on the sailing yacht, will make him the first to leave this season.

While it's a bit too soon to gauge the state of Sailing Yacht 's hiring and firings, many other fans are concerned with whether the super tall deckhand is single or taken — especially after the ladies of the crew caught him alone in his cabin snapping selfies during the season premiere.

As luck would have it, Jean-Luc (and pretty much every other crew member) is single. While the crew is on break, Jean-Luc tells his fellow deckies he couldn't imagine coming on to a yacht with a significant other, suggesting that the temptation of hooking up with another crew member is far too great.

We're excited to see exactly how Jean-Luc's plans unfold over the rest of the season. 

New episodes of Below Deck Sailing Yacht air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Biggest Drama Through the Years: Jean-Luc and Dani’s Baby Bombshell, Captain Glenn’s Accident and More

Glenn's major accident.

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

The drama has already reached unexpected heights on Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

During season 2 of the hit show, the crew was rocked with a shocking twist when Dani Soares claimed that Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux was the father of her baby. Jean-Luc, who wasn't able to attend the reunion with the rest of his cast members, later spoke with Andy Cohen and even left an emotional message to his ex.

Jean-Luc later acknowledged his paternity after Dani opened up to Us Weekly about life as a single mom.

"Not having a partner makes it hard for me to have time to shower, eat a meal with no rush or simply [sitting] down alone for a few minutes. I could definitely use [help] with having a nanny coming in even just for a couple hours a day so I could take care of myself and recharge," the reality star, who gave birth to her daughter two months prior , exclusively told Us in July 2021. "At the moment I can only recharge when a friend comes over, and obviously, they have their lives and can't be here every day."

Meanwhile, Gary King, Daisy Kelliher and Colin MacRae rocked the franchise with their love triangle. "Contrary to what many of you may believe, I am still friends with Colin and Daisy. Last season of #belowdecksailing was not my best, having watched some episodes I know that I have a lot of work and growing to do and will do everything to be a better person," Gary wrote via Instagram in July 2023. "To all those people that constantly comment negatively and try bring me down, sticks and stones! You will not bring me down. For all the people who support me and message nice things, thank you ❤️ appreciate it all 🙂 #notmybest #stillfriends #itsarealityshow #lovetothefans #hatetothehaters #belowdeck #bravotv #itsatvshow."

Scroll down for more of Below Deck Sailing Yacht 's shocking moments:

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'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' 's Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux Confirms He Fathered Dani Soares' Baby Girl

Dani Soares, who welcomed her daughter Lilly Rose in May, previously said the baby's father, whose identity she did not reveal at the time, was keeping a distance from her and their child

Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Jean-Luc "J.L." Cerza-Lanaux has come forward to confirm he is the father of Dani Soares' baby

Nearly eight months after the birth of Soares' daughter Lilly Rose , deckhand Cerza-Lanaux announced that the baby girl is his daughter in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday.

"As the year 2021 came to a close. A new year in 2022 begins with high ambitions and positivity. My silence on social media has been intentional and much needed. I used that time to focus on what was important to me and my mental health," he began. "I can't let 2022 go any further without sharing some beautiful news. An international DNA test that was done awhile ago was no small feat. I'm happy and proud to say Sweet and beautiful Lilly rose is my daughter."

Cerza-Lanaux, 26, went on to share that he and Soares, 33, have been learning to co-parent as best they can given their busy schedules.

"Dani and I have been working and communicating together to the best of our ability; given Dani is a full time mother and worker, and I being gone for extended periods of time not knowing when I will step back on land. This is imperative for the sake of our daughter as she needs both parents in her life," he explained.

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"With that being said, going forward, I will no longer feel the need to explain myself to anybody, when realizing people only understand from their level of perception," he continued. "I am thankful for my friends, and family who have stuck by my side through thick and thin. As I look forward to this new year with new opportunities, I will be striving to be the best man and father that I can be. God bless."

Following the birth of Lilly in May, rumors had been swirling that deckhand Cerza-Lanaux was the father, ever since a preview for the Bravo show's season 2 reunion showed Soares saying that her baby's father is keeping a distance from her and his offspring .

"He thinks it's not his child, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it," Soares said in a teaser for the episode back in June.

"I'm not going to badmouth anybody because my daughter is going to see everything that I'm saying, everything that I'm doing and I don't want her to see things going back and forth on social media or things being said in a moment of anger," Soares told PEOPLE at the time. "As I said, the door's always open, but you need to do more than just talk. You need to actually have some action, do some action."

"The father was part of it, I didn't make her alone," she added of her daughter. "So, if he wants to be part of her life obviously [he can]. But he needs to do more than talk."

At the time, Cerza-Lanaux tried to "clear the air" in an Instagram post, hitting back at Soares' reunion comments in the process.

"While others are off chasing their 15 minutes of fame, I am working on a yacht in Central America and heartbroken to have to hear about the baby's birth on social media and read headlines like ' Dani Soares Says Her Baby's Father Doesn't Want Anything to Do With It ,' Cerza-Lanaux wrote. "All I can say is if she's mine, I want to be involved 100%."

"As someone who grew up with parents who weren't together, I wouldn't wish that on any child," he added. "Not looking for a pity party. Just want everyone to know how strongly I feel about this, especially the haters who are so sure I am neglecting my responsibility. No one wants to know more than me if this is my baby girl!"

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Below deck: jean-luc still hasn't taken paternity test for dani's baby.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Jean-Luc still hasn't taken any sort of paternity test for Dani Soares' new baby girl, who was born a few weeks ago.

Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux of  Below Deck Sailing Yacht  still hasn't figured out if he is the father of Dani Soares’ baby. He told viewers on the tell-all that he would be taking a paternity test, but has dragged his feet on the matter.

Jean-Luc spoke to Andy Cohen to try and clarify his stance on Dani’s baby. During his own reunion, Jean-Luc got a chance to tell his side of the story. During the group reunion, the stew simply stated she would do everything she could for her daughter. According to the Brazillian, the deckhand wanted nothing to do with the child. The entire Below Deck crew rallied behind Dani and hoped that the 25-year-old boy toy would step up to the plate. Jean-Luc did get visibly upset at Andy’s questions, but he has yet to do anything about it, even after his mother verbally attacked Dani.

Related: Below Deck: David Pascoe Addresses Crush Rumors About Malia White

During an interview on the Altered Reality podcast, Colin Macrae was asked about Jean-Luc  and gave a heated response saying, “ To this day, he hasn’t stepped up to the plate.” According to the engineer, Jean-Luc has yet even to try to find out if the baby is his and keeps putting his head in the sand. Colin went on to say, “The door’s wide open for him to do tests, and he still hasn’t done anything.”

Evidently, the Below Deck crew tried its best to stay out of the drama, but was pulled in due to Jean-Luc’s lies about Dani. Everyone felt that someone needed to step up and defend Dani. The entire crew feels that Jean-Luc’s actions are disgraceful, and it was hard to watch. According to Colin, he has seen some of the messages between the two. The engineer made it perfectly clear that Jean-Luc had ample amount of time to get a test noting, “He had lots of opportunities to do a non-invasive paternity test.”

Sadly, the former deckhand just didn’t. Below Deck Sailing Yacht fans will recall that Jean-Luc claimed he wanted to do a paternity test in Australia during the reunion, but the borders were closed. Luckily, Dani has the rest of the crew backing her up, with Alli Dore even flying to Sydney for a week to help her out. Dani has made it clear that she will raise her daughter alone, but had hoped that Jean-Luc would have stepped up; instead, he is out working on another charter.

Next: Below Deck Med: David Reveals His Favorite Cast Member

Source: Altered Reality