DeMario Jackson might be feeling vindicated after Warner Bros determined that there was no assault, but he’s not quite satisfied.
But what he wants now might be a little harder, for complicated legal reasons and maybe even for personal ones.
TMZ reports that DeMario Jackson wants to meet face-to-face with Corinne Olympios to clear the air.
For everything going on with the Bachelor in Paradise pool sex scandal that got production abruptly shut down, there hasn’t been all that much he-said, she-said.
Probably because of the possibility of legal action.
And also probably because not everyone involved remembers all of the details of the poolside romp heard ‘round the world.
See, from DeMario’s perspective, he thought that everything was fine with Corinne and that a producer had been upset by what happened, getting everyone sent home.
So he was “blindsided and confused” to hear that Corinne was unhappy.
And even though she didn’t come out and place blame at his feet, he feels like they need to talk to each other, in person, to move past this.
While that would undoubtedly make for great television — if possibly not for the most genuine and heartfelt talk — there’s almost zero chance that it’ll take place on Bachelor in Paradise.
DeMario’s desire to talk to Corinne isn’t so great that he’s willing to make the first move, however.
Apparently, he wants her to approach him for their talk.
Her legal team may advise her against it, as any statements that either of them make could be used against them.
So … he may be stuck waiting for a while.
The way that we see it, here’s what may be going on.
Bear in mind that this is speculation.
Speculation after keeping up with this story way too much, but still.
So, whatever exactly happened in the pool or lead up to it, Corinne doesn’t seem to remember but DeMario does.
A producer saw what happened and was freaked out, believing — correctly or otherwise — that a sexual assault had taken place.
Corinne got wind of this and, correctly or otherwise, came to believe that she’d been a victim based upon what she was told.
(Presumably a victim of sexual assault, but Corinne hasn’t said all that much except to announce that she is a “victim”)
So, horrified by this secondhand account of what happened, Corinne spoke out, reportedly blaming producers without pointing the finger at DeMario Jackson.
DeMario Jackson, however, hears Corinne’s words and worries that she’s accusing him of being the perpetrator behind the alleged assault.
At the very least, he must have been concerned that some fans would accuse him of being some sort of predator in the situation.
(Even though he was reportedly so intoxicated at the time that he couldn’t get it up)
If this was some scheme cooked up by producers in a misguided attempt to get better ratings, then he and Corinne would both be “victims” in the scenario.
So, basically, it sounds like a producer, Corinne, and DeMario have all been assuming the worst about this situation.
We’re glad to hear that he wants to clear the air with Corinne so that DeMario, at least, can probably put his assumptions to rest.
But we’d understand if, legal caution aside, Corinne is feeling traumatized by all of this and doesn’t feel ready to see anyone associated with it just yet.
Honestly, with there being almost no chance that DeMario and Corinne will be on this season of Bachelor in Paradise, that’s kind of a blow to the season.
But we think that it’s fair to say that a lot of viewers will be interested to see how much others on the show do or do not discuss what happened.
Other contestants were there on the set, even if they weren’t poolside.
And, if we know nothing else about what happened, it’s that almost everyone from the show seems to have an opinion.
But the loss of Corinne is going to be a blow to the show independently of the pool sex scandal.
Because she’s Corinne.
She’s wild, she’s impulsive, and she’s aggressively inappropriate.
Those qualities make her a fantastic reality show personality.
Even if they’ve earned her the “villain” label in the past.
Though, as with Disney movies and most superhero media, “villains” like Corinne tend to be so much more interesting than their costars.
The fact that DeMario’s wishes have leaked to TMZ tells us at least one of three things:
-DeMario Jackson needs better, more trustworthy friends
-DeMario Jackson or someone close to him wanted Corinne to know that he wants a meeting and to sprinkle a little public pressure into the mix
-DeMario Jackson or someone close to him wants to float the idea for this talk to various television outlets
Like … Dr. Phil hosts all sorts of “heartfelt confrontations” because, for whatever reason, he has his own show.
Plenty of shows would be happy to air something like this. Guaranteed ratings, you know?
Though anything on ABC or owned by Warner Bros might be a little hesitant, because of legal complexities.
Honestly, this whole situation is such an unfair mess.
Not just unfair to viewers who are missing out on what Season 4 could have been.
(Though that, too)
Also unfair to Corinne and DeMario.
If they were both intoxicated beyond the point of consent, then it’s wildly unfair that their poolside sex romp happened at all, and worse that it was filmed.
That kind of sketchiness harkens back to the gross days of Girls Gone Wild.
There really are no winners in this story.
