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Captain Sandy Yawn Shares Why She’s “Proud” to Be with Her Girlfriend, Leah
The Below Deck Mediterranean captain opened up about her relationship with the gospel singer.
In addition to being a female captain in a male-dominated industry, Below Deck Mediterranean’s Sandy Yawn represents the LGBTQIA+ community when she’s at the helm of a superyacht.
During an installment of the Amplify Our Voices series to close out Pride Month, Sandy opened up about her coming-out experience and shared an update on her relationship with her gospel singer girlfriend, Leah Shafer.
Captain Sandy Yawn on Coming Out
The yacht captain discussed what it was like for her to navigate her personal life while growing up in Florida.
“You know, for me, when I was a kid, I, from the time I was in kindergarten, thought, ‘Why am I attracted to girls?’” Captain Sandy said during the Instagram Live, which also featured The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Heather Dubrow and Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard’s Preston Mitchum. “Obviously, cognitively, I didn’t know what it meant. And then, as I went through school, I had so much shame because [of] my family. They were so anti that.”
An Update on Her Girlfriend, Leah
The Below Deck Med captain later opened up about how getting sober helped her to finally live her authentic truth.
“I got sober, and when I got sober, I accepted who Sandy was,” she continued during the Amplify Our Voices segment, as Leah sat beside her. “I think part of my addiction was using to accept my sexuality. A big part of it.”
“When I was able to do that, to be comfortable in my own skin with who I was attracted to, I was able to walk through life easily. And [I was] proud to be with my partner and never question ‘Why?’ again,” she added. “It just is.”
Sandy’s current partner is, of course, Leah. The captain began dating Leah in 2018, and the two have shared highlights from their relationship on social media in the years since. During her Amplify Our Voices discussion, the yachtie shared a story about a fan interaction the couple had that proved to be quite meaningful.
“There was a girl who came up to Leah and I who said, ‘Thank you for being you,’” Sandy recounted. “It’s all about love.”
In the comments section of the video, Leah wrote that she “finally was true to [herself]” when she began dating Sandy.
The singer also paid tribute to her girlfriend earlier in June to celebrate the beginning of Pride Month.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me when [I] chose to love this woman,” Leah wrote in the caption of her post.
See more from Captain Sandy by streaming Below Deck Mediterranean on Peacock.
