Bachelor in Paradise season 4 has officially halted production due to an issue of “misconduct.” In other words, a rape may have occurred.
Of course, the producers at BiP are not using the word “rape” but rather have stated,
“We have become aware of allegations of misconduct on the set of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ in Mexico. We have suspended production and we are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations. Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action.”
According to multiple reports, the incident in question involves Demario Jackson, with sources saying he was filmed “in a sexual encounter with a female contestant who may have been too drunk to consent.” The female contestant’s name has not been revealed due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, but some are claiming it was Corinne Olympios.
One contestant confirmed that at least two contestants witnessed the rape.
The contestant told People,
“People are pissed, and not just at Demario. We’re pissed that this whole thing happened. They could have seen that she was drinking too much and that he was taking advantage. They could have stopped this before it got this far. But they decided to let it go, and let it happen, and see what happened? So, I’m angry at the show, and everyone else is too.”
According to Reality Steve, all the contestants have been sent home.
If the rape was in fact caught on tape, that means that at least one camera person and/or crew member witnessed the incident and yet did nothing to stop it.
A conflicting source told TMZ that the woman (who may or may not have been Corinne Olympios), got in the pool with Demario, hopped on his lap, and then she initiated sex.
Regardless, the woman was too inebriated to give consent and it’s not ok that the show allowed this to go down.
It is not confirmed whether or not authorities in Mexico (where the filming occurred) were notified.
UPDATE as of 6/12/2017:
According to new reports by TMZ, Corinne has confirmed that she did not consent and was “black-out drunk.” She says she remembers nothing from the day and blames producers for not putting a stop to the incident. Several other cast members came forward to voice their concerns to the producers and yet the crew still stood by and did nothing.
Bachelor In Paradise had yet to confirm these accounts.
