Ben Robinson Reveals the Shocking Reason He Called Off His Wedding: “I Caught Her…”

In September 2024, Ben Robinson revealed that his engagement to longtime girlfriend Kiara Cabral had ended. “I would rather not discuss the reasons behind these decisions,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.

However, on Below Deck Down Under Season 4, the chef is getting more candid about the end of his relationship and the painful realization that led to the breakup.

“Fairly recently, I broke up with my fiancée, having spent $50,000 on a wedding I didn’t attend,” Ben revealed in the season premiere. In Episode 3, he tearfully confessed to producers: “I was meant to get married last year. And I caught her—she had been seeing one of my friends for a very long time.”

Ben was prompted to open up about his heartbreak after feeling triggered during a crew night out. The group engaged in a game of “Shag, Marry, Kill,” and chief stew Daisy Kelliher and sous chef Alesia Harris both elected to “kill” the head chef.

In response, Ben lashed out at his crewmates before breaking down and crying. Daisy took a moment to comfort Ben after his outburst. “I’m just really sensitive right now,” he explained to her.

“I just—I’m more sensitive because everyone’s just f—king let me down, that’s why,” he said during the Feb. 16 episode. “I lack faith in humanity. That’s it—yeah. F—k.”

Ben unpacked more of his reaction to the game during the Below Deck Down Under After Show, admitting during the charter season, “I think that maybe I wasn’t quite healed.”

“Well that’s the thing. You never know until you scratch that emotional surface. I was away from the reclusion of my otherwise reclusive life, but you never know until you put yourself back in the field,” he reflected.

Ben Robinson ends his engagement to Kiara Cabral
In case you need a refresher, Ben proposed to Kiara in May 2023 during a cruise in Italy, after the pair had dated for more than three years.

“I look forward to a life of love and laughter with the lovely Kiara,” he told Us Weekly at the time. “It’s an amazing feeling [to be] secure in such a beautiful romance and friendship.”

But a year and a half later, he posted a cryptic message that his engagement had ended. “I am no longer getting married,” he wrote on his Instagram. “We have decided to go our separate ways, and I think that this is the best decision for both of us. I would rather not discuss the reasons behind these decisions, but I feel it’s important for me to express my circumstance. With any luck, my grievances will be overshadowed by the support of my loyal followers, friends, and family. You always give me strength.”

What to Know About Below Deck Down Under Season 4
All aboard! Below Deck Down Under Season 4 has left the dock, with new episodes airing Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Captain Jason Chambers is back at the helm, along with some very familiar faces from around the Below Deck universe, including Ben Robinson, Daisy Kelliher, and João Franco.​​​​​ They will be joined by Alesia Harris, Joe Caron, Jenna Woudberg, Mike Durrant, Eddy Hounsell, and Betul Yazici.

The crew finds itself on rocky waters, as the season kicks off with a historic crossover charter featuring The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast aboard M/Y Katina. As the yachties continue to set sail through Canouan in the Caribbean, they face crew drama, steamy hookups, and charter guest issues.

Want to watch in style? Check out exclusive Below Deck Down Under merch from Shop by Bravo.

He got support during that difficult time from his former Below Deck castmate and longtime friend, Kate Chastain, who responded to his Instagram: “Maybe I should screen your next partner for you.” Poking fun at the rumors that Ben is the father of her son, Sullivan, she added, “Being a stepmom isn’t easy.”

Ben revealed during the After Show that Kate actually saw red flags in his relationship while it was happening. “It’s funny, because Kate liked my ex-fiancée a little bit in the beginning, but she kind of sussed her out,” he shared. “Kate kind became a little, ‘I don’t really like her.’ She’s like a human lie detector.”

It turns out Ben’s breakup was also the perfect reason for him to return to the Below Deck world. “He needed a chef, and I needed an escape, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ In essence, we saved each other,” Ben explained of Captain Jason Chambers’ invitation during the Below Deck Down Under Season 4 premiere.

Is Ben Robinson dating?
When After Show producers questioned if Ben is dating again, he joked, “Yeah, anything that moves, really. Anything with long hair.”

But taking a more serious tone, he also admitted he may never fully heal from the end of his engagement. “We’re still trying to recover and I think that’s probably something that we’ll always be recovering from. There’s always going to be a scar, you know?” he told producers.

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Does Ben Robinson have a boatmance with Jenna Woudberg on Below Deck Down Under Season 4?
Ben has had no shortage of romantic prospects since ending his engagement, including from The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Ashley Darby, who called Ben “very charming” during BravoCon 2025.

But the Below Deck Down Under Season 4 trailer also hints at a possible boatmance between Ben and stew Jenna Woudberg. As the two are seen dancing closely together, Jenna admits, “It was nice getting to know Ben.” The scene flashes to Ben declaring to Jenna, “I like you, OK?”

During the Feb. 16 episode, Jenna and Ben flirted over a glass of wine in the galley before the crew night out, and Jenna admitted she was warming up to the chef.

“I feel like everybody doesn’t understand him, maybe,” Jenna confided to producers. “And he’s actually a good person. You just need to filter through all the layers.”

New Episodes Streaming This Week on Peacock
Monday: The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Rhode Island

Tuesday: Below Deck Down Under and Top Chef

Wednesday: Summer House

Thursday: The Valley and Southern Hospitality

Friday: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Ladies of London

Don’t miss Ben revealing how Kate and Daisy differ as chief stews.