Baby daddy drama on the high seas!
If you’re a fan of Bravo’s Below Deck Sailing Yacht, then you’re probably aware that the show’s most recent season ended on something of a cliffhanger.
Stewardess Dani Soares claimed during the reunion show that she had gotten knocked up by deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux.
Dani had previously suggested on social media that Jean-Luc was the father, but this was the first time that we saw her confront him with the allegation face-to-face.
Host Andy Cohen resisted the urge to make a bunch of awful sex-sailing puns, and Cerza-Lanaux essentially shrugged off the allegation.
He explained that he "thinks it’s not his child" and "doesn’t want to have anything to do with it."
Unfortunately for Jean-Luc "I don’t think that kid is mine" doesn’t hold up in court.
The episode premiered back in April, and now, we finally have some closure on this matter:
In a recent Instagram post, Jean-Luc revealed that he’s taken a paternity test, and — to the surprise of absolutely no one — he is the father of Dani’s child daughter Lily, who was born in May.
Lanaux shared the news with a fans in a lengthy Instagram caption in which he carefully side-stepped any conversation about what a jerk he was to Dani when she tried to address this matter with him several months ago.
"My silence on social media has been intentional and much needed," Jean-Luc wrote on Wednesday.
"I used that time to focus on what was important to me and my mental health."
Okay, not off to the greatest start — making it all about himself, and whatnot — but don’t worry, he quickly gets to the point from there:
"I can’t let 2022 go any further without sharing some beautiful news," Jean-Luc added.
"An international DNA test that was done a while ago was no small feat. I’m happy and proud to say Sweet and beautiful Lilly rose is my daughter," he continued."
This is the first time that Jean-Luc explicitly confirmed that he’s the father of Dani’s baby, but it’s not the first time he hinted at that fact.
Without no explanation, he posted a photo of Lily back in June before taking a lengthy hiatus from Instagram.
"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," Jean-Luc continued.
"This is imperative for the sake of our daughter as she needs both parents in her life."
Cerza-Lanaux ended things on a contentious note, expressing gratitude for his supporters and contempt for his haters:
"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," Jean-Luc wrote.
"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."
Well, the good news is, Dani was finally proven right.
The bad news is, now she has to raise a baby with Jean-Luc!