Malia White and Jake Baker‘s romance took Below Deck Mediterranean viewers by surprise — but the couple originally formed a bond behind the scenes after meeting during season 6.
In June 2021, Malia returned to the hit Bravo series and confirmed that she was no longer dating chef Tom Checketts. At the time, she revealed that it was her decision to call it quits after fans watched their growing romance one season prior.
“Yeah, we were, you know, working on different boats,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2021. “It was in the pandemic [that] had just happened. So, it was impossible for us to see each other. It was right when the show is coming out, it’s obviously a lot going on in our lives. And, yeah, he found someone else on his boats and I didn’t know for a couple of months.”
Although the bosun was single onboard, she didn’t rule out a relationship with someone in her industry, adding, “The people you work around are the ones you build these close relationships with. And for us, these may be the only people we meet for months at a time. So, you naturally develop feelings toward people.”
One month later, the pair made their relationship Instagram official when Jake shared an Instagram photo of them kissing. Malia was cast on season 3 of Bravo’s Winter House in March 2023 — which confirmed her split from Jake.
Scroll down to relive Malia and Jake’s romance:
