An Intimate Conversation with Jackie Siegel:
The Queen of Versailles, and Below Deck’s Main Charter Guest
Sunday January 31, 2021 12:30am ET
Philanthropist, star of Queen of Versailles, and the main charter guest on Bravo TV’s Below Deck upcoming two-part episode, Jackie Siegel, has such an important story to be told, and it was an honor sitting down with her.
Jackie and her husband, David, lost their daughter Victoria to a drug overdose in 2012, but they have since turned their tragedy into a beautiful mission to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic that is plaguing America. Victoria had kept a diary of her time here, and Jackie has since published the intimate journal and started “Victoria’s Voice“, a foundation whose mission is to combat drug addiction, and show our youth that they do not have to take the same path that so many before them have unfortunately followed.
Jackie’s eyes lit up as she spoke of her daughter, “Victoria, she was a free spirit. She was one of those girls when she was in middle school that didn’t want anyone to know that she came from money. She would not allow me to pick her up with a Rolls Royce or anything. We had to use one of the staff cars or the ones we use for grocery shopping and stuff. We’d always have to pick her up in one of those. If I did show up in a beautiful car, she would roll her eyes and point, like, “pick me up around the corner“, you know? She was one of those very earthy girls, like a hippie. Victoria just wanted to fit in with everyone. Then, when The Queen of Versailles movie came out, all of a sudden people are saying, “Oh, you’re a rich girl. You’re a rich girl“. People started being friends with her because of her money, and other people bullied her because she was rich. So as time went on, they introduced her to drugs, and they liked her because she was the one that could afford the drugs. Mm hmm, and you know, eventually it took her life.”
“She was one of those girls when she was in middle school, that didn’t want anyone to know that she came from money… Then, when The Queen of Versailles movie came out, all of a sudden people are saying, “Oh, you’re a rich girl. You’re a rich girl“. People started being friends with her because of her money, and other people bullied her because she was rich. So as time went on, they introduced her to drugs, and they liked her because she was the one that could afford the drugs. Mm hmm, and you know, eventually it took her life.“
The Queen of Versailles had previously been a charter guest on Below Deck Mediterranean with Captain Sandy Yawn, and although her husband was never a fan of yachting before that, he could not pass up the opportunity to travel the seas with Captain Lee after seeing the amazing experience Jackie had during her first experience on the show. The Siegel family boarded their private jet and took off to Antigua for the adventure of a lifetime. When the family landed, the Below Deck producers informed them that there was only one rule onboard: not to speak to Captain Lee about the passing of his son Joshua, who had also lost his battle with addiction.
While exploring the superyacht the Siegel’s stumbled upon the bridge door, and without hesitation, David opened it. There stood Captain Lee. Something happened within those next few minutes that was unexplainable, Jackie continued, as she spoke of the immediate bond that David and Captain Lee formed. The loss a parent goes through when a child passes is unlike any other, but the strength the Siegel’s gave to Captain Lee and vice versa, is a beautiful thing, and Lee and David remain close to this day.
“My husband walks right over to him, shakes his hand and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss.” I’m standing there thinking, Oh my God, That’s the one rule. They said please don’t do it in the first place, and now he broke the only rule within the first five minutes. You know what? I think because my husband and I, we lost our daughter, I think that was probably the only exception. Captain Lee was so gracious, and all of a sudden, you saw a side of him that I don’t think anyone ever saw before. I think that it was just the support. My husband is a successful businessman and Captain Lee is successful, and in their minds, I don’t think they thought that something like this could ever happen to them. I don’t know if internally they have self-blame, but I think it was good for both of them to be able to share their stories and their mourning. I think they both came out emotionally stronger. They just talked the whole time. They were like best buddies. It really changed the whole dynamic of things and to this day they’re still friends. My husband just called Captain Lee a couple days ago and it’s almost a year later. Yeah, so it was just quite amazing.“
Victoria’s Voice Foundation is making so many major strides throughout our nation, and the impact Jackie and David Siegel are making on both our hearts and our communities is endless.
We had to ask Jackie how Chef Rachel Hargrove‘s cooking was, and she could not rave about it enough! Jackie goes as far as to say that she has put in some calls and is hopeful that Rachel will take residency at Versailles!
Catch Jackie this week (and next!) on Below Deck, Bravo TV Network, 9:00 ET.
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