Not that surprised. After months of speculation, Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux confirmed that he fathered Dani Soares‘ baby — but the duo’s fellow cast members weren’t shocked.
“I had no reaction to the news, as I always knew Jean-Luc was the father,” Daisy Kelliher exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, January 20. “I knew all along.”
Earlier this week, Jean-Luc, 27, returned to Instagram after a seven-month hiatus to confirm the paternity of Dani’s daughter, Lilly, who was born in May 2021. He previously claimed that he didn’t know whether he was the father.
“A new year in 2022 begins with high ambitions and positivity,” he wrote on Wednesday, January 19. “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.”
The deckhand added that he couldn’t let the year “go any further” without sharing some news about Dani’s baby. “I’m happy and proud to say sweet and beautiful Lilly Rose is my daughter,” he wrote, adding that he took a DNA test to confirm his relation to the little one. “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.”
The 33-year-old Brazil native, for her part, referenced Jean-Luc’s announcement in a statement to Us, noting that “actions speak louder than words.”
The duo began a romance during season 2 of Sailing Yacht, which aired in 2021. The second stew surprised fans in April of that year when she announced that she was expecting her first child. At the time, she didn’t identify the father, but Bravo viewers began to speculate that it was Jean-Luc.
“I just don’t think that’s relevant for my situation, that’s all,” Dani told Us in May 2021, explaining why she decided not to name her child’s father. “I understand that people are curious about it, and I understand that I’m on a TV show and everybody wants to know. I just don’t think it’s anybody’s business right now.”
During the Sailing Yacht season 2 reunion, which aired in June 2021, Jean-Luc told Dani that he was willing to coparent with her, but he still wanted to take a DNA test.
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“I understand why she took it poorly because in her mind I might be the only person she’s ever been with,” he explained during the episode. “If that’s the case, I told her, I really do apologize, but for my peace of mind I just wanted to know.”
Keep scrolling for more of the Below Deck Sailing Yacht cast’s reaction to Jean-Luc’s big reveal:
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