Trigger Warning: This article discusses domestic violence and assault.
Nathan Gallagher, star of Below Deck Mediterranean, has reportedly fled Australia while facing domestic violence assault charges.
As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, a local court heard that the reality TV personality allegedly subjected his ex-partner and Below Deck castmate to physical violence, including suffocating and choking, at their home in Melrose Park, Sydney, on Boxing Day last year.
Following the alleged assault, Gallagher was taken to Gladesville Police Station, where he was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, choking without consent and common assault.
He spent the night in a police cell before being released on conditional bail on December 28. Gallagher was due to appear at Burwood Local Court on Tuesday to answer the charges. Instead, when the day of the hearing arrived, authorities discovered that he had left the country.
Judge Janine Lacy told the court, “I have been given documentation from immigration compliance operations division that he is currently overseas.”
She continued, “The defendant doesn’t have any prior criminal history but the offences are very serious, with significant maximum penalties and context of DV committed in the home. I record a conviction and issue an [arrest] warrant.”
RELATED: No, Pauline Hanson: Domestic Violence Is Not A “Two-Way Street”
Gallagher made his reality TV debut on season 9 of Below Deck Mediterranean, returning for seasons 10 and 11. However, amid his ongoing legal troubles it is believed he will not be returning for the show’s 12th season.
Following his disappearance, NSW Police Force took to social media to share Gallagher’s mugshot, while also publishing an appeal for information on its website:
“Police are appealing for assistance to locate a man wanted on outstanding warrants in Sydney’s north west. Nathan Gallagher, aged 28, is wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant. Officers attached to Ryde Police Area Command have released an image of Nathan as inquiries to locate him continue. Nathan is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a fair complexion, about 165cm tall, with a medium build. He is known to frequent the Ermington and Melrose Park areas. Nathan is believed to be offshore.”
The police appeal follows Gallagher’s statement to Rolling Stone, where he pushed back against what he described as a one-sided portrayal of events, saying:
“I understand NSW Police have confirmed my arrest in December 2025. What has been publicly reported, however, represents only one side of what was an extremely complicated situation. I have contemporaneous video footage from the night in question, as well as messages and other records, which I believe provide important context and show events that have not been publicly reported. I am willing to provide the relevant footage so that you can make your own assessment of what it shows.”
He continued, “I am not going to make accusations or release private documents on Instagram. I have kept the evidence and will deal with it through the appropriate channels…I’m not claiming I was perfect. I wasn’t. I made mistakes and I will take responsibility for my own actions.”
Gallagher concluded the statement by saying his focus is on his son, “My priority is being recognised as his father, establishing a relationship with him and ultimately finding a way for both of us to move forward and co-parent peacefully.”
Share this post