Where Deadliest Catch stars are now – Danny Chiu and Elliott Neese
Deadliest Catch has seen deck crew come and go over 19 seasons, but Danny Chiu and Elliott Neese are among the most memorable.
Deadliest Catch captures the life-threatening and hectic lifestyle of crab fishing in the US as crew members battle treacherous weather for big money. Fishing the Alaskan coast on the icy Bering Sea brings more than physical challenges; the stars often find themselves butting heads in the intense environment. Standout crew members Danny Chiu and Elliott Neese were last seen in Deadliest Catch season 11 prompting questions about where they are eight years on.
What happened to Danny Chiu and Elliott Neese on Deadliest Catch?
Danny Chiu
Danny W Chiu had a shortlived career on the Discovery Channel series, appearing in only two season 11 episodes, titled Hells Bells, and Lunatic Fringe.
Aboard the Time Bandit with Johnathan Hillstrand as captain, Danny had a rocky relationship with his fellow deckhands. He threw a punch at Greenhorn Phillip Hillstrand and even criticized the captain’s leadership.
Captain Hillstrand branded Chiu as “not a team guy” and often showed frustrations over his reckless behavior. One instance includes Danny telling cameras while grinning: “If I could just beat someone up, I’d be happy.”
Chiu was eventually summoned by the captain for a stern warning, during which Hillstrand called him “the problem” and a “jacka**”.
The deckhand can later be heard saying: “I can be twice as mean as anyone on this boat. If you want to try it, try it. If you want to be there when I threaten the captain, tell him he don’t get all the f****** crab out of the pot, I’ll make sure there are f****** fishing cables all over this boat every f****** day for the rest of his life.”
Fans speculate he was deliberately overreacting for the sake of entertainment.
Elliott Neese
Captain Elliott Neese appeared in five seasons, leading F/V Ramblin’ Rose and F/V Saga. During his time on the show, his substance use issues were known to the cast and often left them concerned.
One episode showed Neese briefly go AWOL from the Saga. Instead, he was in a bar, before returning to the ship to discuss his drug issues. Elliot claimed he was introduced to Schedule I substances at age 16.
Where they are now in 2023
Danny Chiu
Since leaving Deadliest Catch, Danny has not appeared in any reality shows and has remained quiet on social media. His last online activity was on Facebook to update his profile photo showing him aboard a boat.
Chiu has been spending much of his time with his English bulldog, Chubbs, and continues to work as a fisherman, crane operator, and US Coast Guard while based in Encinitas, San Diego.
Elliott Neese
In 2017, Neese revealed he had completed 90 days of sobriety, but admitted to drug dealing in 2021. According to Alaska Public Media, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
The outlet quotes the plea agreement, stating that “Neese admitted to investigators in an interview that he is engaged in a large narcotics trafficking operation on the Kenai Peninsula and that he distributes primarily heroin throughout the area.”
2021 reports say he faced a sentence between five to 40 years.
Court documents obtained by Soap Dirt show he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years at Sheridan Federal Prison, Oregon. But updated inmate records show that he is currently located at FPC Duluth, a minimum-security prison in Minnesota. His release date is July 7, 2024.
If you’ve been affected by this story you can contact American Addiction Centers on (877) 686-7688 or Talk To Frank on 0300 123 6600 in the UK.
