‘Below Deck’ star Joao Franco shared troubling post about his ‘moral compass’ just weeks before shock arrest over fatal brawl

See more of our coverage in your search results. Former “Below Deck” star João Franco posted a cryptic message about taking some time away from social media to “realign” his “moral compass” just three weeks before he was arrested in Turkey for his apparent involvement in a deadly brawl. João and his brother, Karlos Franco, were taken into custody after getting into a physical altercation in the Bodrum district of Muğla on Saturday night that left a 17-year-old dead. Page Six obtained exclusive footage of the incident, which seems to have begun as a verbal argument. Neither João nor his brother have issued a statement about their arrest — however, less than a month before the disturbing incident, the former Bravo star shared a long, emotional message about changes he wanted to make in his life, noting that he wanted to be “remembered” for the impact he had on others. João Franco (pictured in Turkey) shared an Instagram post about reassessing his values weeks before his arrest in Turkey following a fatal brawl. Instagram/@joaograntfranco Alongside a selfie, João wrote an emotional post about wanting to address his “moral compass.” Instagram/@joaograntfranco “I’ll be taking some time to reassess my values, realign my moral compass and remind myself of the person I want to be…” his message, which was accompanied by a selfie taken on a boat, began. “Less ego. More humility. Less reaction. More understanding. Less judgment. More compassion,” he continued. “At the end of the day, I don’t want to be remembered only for what I’ve achieved, but for how I’ve treated people along the way. #mondaymood,” João concluded. Surveillance footage shows an altercation involving João and his brother Karlos outside a store in Bodrum, Turkey. Obtained by Page Six In CCTV footage, Karlos is seen appearing to throw a punch as João seemed to try and intervene in the escalating brawl. Obtained by Page Six He accompanied the caption with a photo of himself on a boat, smiling in front of a sunset. João starred on multiple seasons of Bravo’s “Below Deck” franchises, including “Below Deck Mediterranean.” His most recent appearance on the show was on Season 4 of “Below Deck Down Under,” which premiered in February, and during which he worked as a Bosun. The incident reportedly left a 17-year-old dead. Obtained by Page Six João was filmed trying to pull his brother away. Obtained by Page Six However, beyond his professional obligations on the boat, the show also documented João’s personal struggles, particularly his issues with alcohol. While on Season 4 of “Below Deck Med,” he confessed that he had a drunk alter-ego named “Jezabob,” who often got him into trouble. “I got into a lot of trouble, but I just didn’t realize the extent of it,” he said during an episode of the “Below Deck Med” After Show on Bravo. “I’d always think, I couldn’t have been that bad because I don’t remember it,” he added. The reality star appeared on multiple seasons of Bravo’s “Below Deck” franchise. Fred Jagueneau/Bravo via Getty Images He worked as a Bosun in the most recent season, “Below Deck Down Under,” which premiered in February. Fred Jagueneau/Bravo via Getty Images In 2020, he shared that he had given up drinking, according to Bravo’s The Daily Dish. In an Instagram post at the time, he said “alcohol is THE ONLY thing that makes me lose faith in myself and question my actions.” João, who was born in Zimbabwe but relocated to Europe in order to pursue a career in yachting, has most recently been working as a superyacht captain, according to his social media account. João is pictured with his brother Karlos, who was also arrested following the brawl in Turkey. joao franco/ instagram João previously shared his personal struggles on the TV show. Mark Rogers/Bravo via Getty Images At the start of October, he shared a photo of himself and his brother in Bodrum, Turkey, writing in the caption that they were “keeping each other out of trouble.” The reason for their argument with the employees at the clothing store where the fight broke out is not known, however security footage shows the incident unfolding in horrifying detail. Page Six’s exclusively obtained CCTV footage of the incident appears to show Karlos — who is wearing a dark T-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap — throwing the first punch. Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! João, who was seen wearing a white-striped collared shirt, shorts and a baseball cap, appears to step in to try to break up the fight. The employee then appeared to lunge back at the pair and swing his fist, while multiple other employees came out of the shop to step in. However, a fight quickly ensued. The group of men were seen kicking and punching each other. João appeared to attempt to break up the fight multiple times. In 2020, he revealed that he had quit drinking. Trae Patton/Bravo via Getty Images João revealed he had an “alter-ego” that came out when he got drunk. Greg Endries/Bravo/ Getty He seemed to swing his fist, after which one man fell to the ground and lay motionless. Local media reported that it was a 17-year-old store staffer who fell and hit his head on a few stairs. Voices Newspaper reported that the teen sustained a severe head injury and suffered cardiac arrest but was revived by emergency medical responders before being transported to Muğla Training. He reached Research Hospital in critical condition. Haberler.com reported on Monday that the 17-year-old had passed away after succumbing to his injuries. João and his brother were taken to the Bodrum Courthouse and are currently in prison. A source told Page Six that the two are “awaiting the next steps.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!