What Dani Soares Is Up To After Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 2
Dani Soares is one of the most memorable crew members to appear on the Below Deck franchise, so it's no surprise that fans are looking to catch up on what she's been doing since Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 2. Joining Captain Glenn Shepard on the charter yacht Parsifal III as a second stew, Dani's memories of living in Brazil helped her forge connections with co-stars like Sydney Zaruba and Alli Dore. Dealing with the loss of a close friend months before joining the yacht crew, Dani's open and honest attitude established her positive reputation with viewers.
While Dani's backstory is interesting enough, her short-lived romance with Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux was the breakout storyline of BDSY season 2. Dani and Jean-Luc quickly became interested in one another while working on the sailing yacht and were frequently seen spending time together. Although Dani wasted no time bringing up the potential of marriage and babies, 26-year-old Jean-Luc's clear hesitancy (and, at one point, potential STD) towards settling down created some awkward situations. Nonetheless, Dani and Jean-Luc ended BDSY season 2, confessing their love for each other and leaving Parsifal III as a couple.
After BDSY season 2 ended, it was revealed that Dani was expecting a baby girl. While the father wasn't named at the start, all eyes pointed towards Jean-Luc. Dani gave birth to Lilly Rose in May 2021, and after going back-and-forth with his former BDSY co-stars on Instagram, Jean-Luc confirmed that Lilly was his daughter this past January. Besides becoming a mother, Dani, who has sported a new short-haired look since November, has settled down in Sydney, Australia. In addition to raising Lily, Dani has been working as a beauty therapist while studying to become a nurse, previously telling Bravo Insider, "I just want to do something that I can be like, I'm actually helping, I'm actually changing people's lives, you know?"
Although Dani isn't planning to return to yachting anytime soon, the 34-year-old still has a foot in the Below Deck franchise. After BDSY season 2 wrapped last summer, Dani, Alli, and chief stew Daisy Kelliher started an Instagram Live series called Pita Party. The three stews upload weekly episodes that focus on the currently-airing BDSY season 3, as well as individual and collective experiences as women in their 30s. Dani, Alli, and Daisy are frequently joined by Below Deck special guests like Ashley Marti, Colin MacRae, and Tom Pearson. Since establishing Pity Party, Dani, Alli, and Daisy have expanded the show to a podcast that can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Between working, studying, and caring for Lily, it's clear that Dani has a lot on her plate, especially since she's hinted that Jean-Luc isn't as involved with their daughter as he should be. Nevertheless, fans of BDSY are happy to see that Dani is not only still invested in the charter yacht world but continues to have the support of Alli, Daisy, and other Below Deck stars. Dani has undergone one of the biggest transformations since appearing on BDSY season 2, emotionally and physically, yet it's clear that she is focused on carving a wide path of opportunities for her and Lilly.
Sources: Bravo Insider, Dani Soares/Instagram