The Bachelor in Paradise controversy that had prompted a production shutdown over the past two weeks centered on the alleged inability of Corinne Olympios to say no to a drunken hook-up with DeMario Jackson.
Which is ironic.
Because now Corinne Olympios is refusing to take no for an answer from ABC and Warner Bros.
On Monday afternoon, the network announced that it had completed its investigation into an incident between Olympios and Jackson.
It took place earlier this month. It featured the contestants having drank a lot of alcohol and then gotten very naked together in a pool.
And it raised the question of whether Olympios was capable of giving consent to Jackson for what witnesses described at “touching, rubbing and fingering.”
In separate statements shortly after they and their fellow castmates were sent home, Corinne said she was a victim and Jackson said his character was being assassinated.
Yesterday, however, Warner Bros. tried to restore DeMario’s reputation.
The studio said the investigation into the sexual tryst was complete and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.
Executives had seemingly watched a videotape of the hook-up and determined no party acted in an inappropriate or illegal manner.
As a result, no charges would be brought, no action would be taken and, in a shocking decision, filming on Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 would actually resume.
However, Martin Singer, the lawyer for Olympios, has responded to the findings and is promising his own investigation.
“It needs to be made crystal clear that production of Bachelor in Paradise was shut down because of multiple complaints received from BIP producers and crew members on the set,” he said in a statement.
Continued the attorney:
“It was not shut down due to any complaint filed by Corinne against anyone. It comes as no surprise that Warner Bros., as a result of its own internal investigation, would state that no wrong doing had occurred.
“Our own investigation will continue based on multiple new witnesses coming forward revealing what they saw and heard.”
According to insiders, Jackson has been asked to return to Mexico for the completion of Season 4.
So have Robby Hayes, Raven Gates, Vinny Ventiera, Amanda Stanton and all other cast members who had been sent away during the investigation.
It’s unclear whether Corinne has been asked back, but we can’t fathom she’d walk back into Paradise if she is still making a case that she was violated in some manner.
Jackson, meanwhile, has frequently said that he’ll be exonerated once the tape of what happened comes out.
It doesn’t sound as if that tape will be made public, but Jackson has been cleared all the same.
“As we previously stated, we recently became aware of allegations regarding an incident on the set of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico,” said the production company in a statement yesterday, adding in detail:
We take all such allegations seriously.
The safety, security and well-being of the cast and crew is our number one concern, and we suspended filming so that the allegations could be investigated immediately and thoroughly.
Our internal investigation, conducted with the assistance of an outside law firm, has now been completed.
Out of respect for the privacy interests of those involved, we do not intend to release the videotape of the incident.
We can say, however, that the tape does not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member.
Nor does the tape show, contrary to many press reports, that the safety of any cast member was ever in jeopardy.
Production on this season of Bachelor in Paradise will be resuming.
We plan to implement certain changes to the show’s policies and procedures to enhance and further ensure the safety and security of all participants.
Will you watch Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 after all this?