DeMario Jackson has broken his silence on Bachelor in Paradise and the disturbing allegations surrounding his role in the recent scandal that caused production to be shut down.
Has he spoken to Corinne Olympios since both were sent home from Mexico?
Is he afraid of charges being brought against him?
The former Bachelorette contestant, who was eliminated by Rachel Lindsay this month because she learned he had a girlfriend during shooting, was stopped outside a Starbucks in Los Angeles on Tuesday and asked about the ongoing scandal.
“No comment,” Jackson initially told reporters on the scene.
He was asked by TMZ whether he’s concerned that some now think of him as a “sexual predator,” to which DeMario replied “No sir.”
In a video exclusive to Entertainment Tonight, however, the reality star did finally elaborate a bit when asked about Corinne specifically.
“I have nothing to say. You know, Corinne’s an awesome girl and that’s all I have to say,” Jackson said, concluding with a message for his fans:
“Love you all, thank you for the support.”
Early in the filming of Bachelor in Paradise Season 4, Jackson and Olympios started to hook up in a pool.
According to witnesses, both parties were very drunk at the time and things turned very hot and very heavy almost immediately.
An insider close to DeMario describes the “rubbing, touching and fingering” that took place, stating that Olympios was the aggressor.
But a producer quickly took issue with what transpired between DeMario and Corinne, alerting executives to a situation she described as possible sexual misconduct.
Production was then shut down, an investigation was launched and all cast members sent home.
In the days since, sources have confirmed that the issue at stake is whether or not Olympios gave Jackson consent for his actions.
Corinne has reportedly hired an attorney, but insiders say her beef is with producers, who failed to step in despite her heavily intoxicated state, and NOT with Jackson.
Host Chris Harrison has warned the public from overreacting to the “misinformation” floating around the Internet, but Bachelor in Paradise is likely to get canceled.
There may be lawsuits filed.
This incident raises many questions about the prominence of alcohol and sex on reality television.
It’s only natural for folks to wonder what happened.
“Nobody truly enjoys having their character questioned, but he is certainly classier than how he is being portrayed,” a source tells Us Weekly of Jackson, adding:
“There are three sides to every story: his, hers and the truth.
“He is in high spirits and positive because he knows without a doubt he didn’t do what he’s being accused of.”
Jackson has told multiple people that he’ll be exonerated of any wrongdoing once footage of his interaction with Corinne is made public.
Entertainment Tonight has even obtained the following text message from Jackson in which he emphasizes this point:
It’s hard to image footage will actually be released to the public.
But cameras were rolling during Corinne and DeMario’s hook-up.
At some point, whatever was captured on film should shed some light on what happened and where things go from there.
Until then, all we can do is try not to overly speculate.
“Warner Bros. is handling the details of that investigation,” Harrison said in his statement, concluding:
“They’re moving quickly to gather all the facts, and once that’s done a clear concise decision can be made about where we go from here.
“It is my sincere hope that we can come to a quick resolution on this and get back to work very soon.”
