'Bachelor in Paradise' cast member on suspension scandal: We feel used and pissed off, but the situation was bad

A Bachelor in Paradise cast member is opening up about the scandal involving DeMario Jackson that shut down production on Season 4.


"We were told to stay in a certain part of the [resort] while they figured out what the hell had happened," the contestant told People, recalling how the cast was put on lockdown just a couple of days after arriving in Mexico.

When a "lockdown" occurs, contestants are not allowed to speak to each other and are constantly monitored by production.

"We knew something bad had happened; there was a dark energy that came around the house. You have to understand that we weren't even there a week. The game hadn't even really begun yet... I don't know everything that happened. Obviously I didn't suffer like other people are suffering, but still. It just sucks."

The contestant agreed to speak with the magazine on the condition of anonymity.


Bachelor in Paradise halted production due to allegations of "misconduct," with conflicting reports having surfaced regarding a sexual encounter between franchise villains DeMario and Corinne Olympios.

Cameras began rolling on Sunday, June 4, when a producer allegedly witnessed offensive sexual activity in the pool between DeMario and a woman, People reported.

Two sources had told the magazine that DeMario hooked up with a female contestant who may have been too drunk to consent.

Sources connected with DeMario told TMZ that Corinne was the woman involved when alcohol was flowing all day. After some "rubbing, touching and fingering," the sources said Corinne put her genitals in his face, and then he began licking. DeMario and Corinne allegedly did not have sex.

The drunken antics were bad enough, however, for the offended producer to allegedly file a complaint with Warner Bros., which prompted the investigation and cast removal from the resort.


Although the cast was looking forward to filming Paradise for up to three weeks, the contestant said the lockdown took place on Tuesday, June 6.

"They stopped taping anything, and we were just kind of there, waiting in limbo. We couldn't talk to each other about what we knew. On Thursday, one of the camera guys told me that they were probably going to shut down production," the contestant explained to People.

"I didn't realize that it was that serious until then. I was like, 'Wait, they're thinking of canceling the show?' It hadn't even crossed my mind that they'd do that."

When producers informed the cast of the bad news, the contestant revealed, "One of them was crying. She told us that it was over and we would all be going home."

A producer allegedly said it was unrealistic for the show to resume production for this summer's edition.


"She said that there was an investigation going on, and that could take days, weeks or even months. And by that time, we all have lives and jobs and things to go back to, so it just wasn't going to work out," the contestant shared with People.

"They told us that we'd be considered for future seasons and opportunities in the franchise, but that this adventure was probably over. We're pissed that this whole thing happened. They could have stopped this before it got this far."

A fan posted a photo on Instagram on June 11 of the majority of Bachelor in Paradise's cast hanging out at the airport in Puerto Vallarta, waiting to leave. DeMario and Corinne were noticeably not in the picture.

"We all feel used. We're pissed off," the contestant said of the show's outcome, although cast members will reportedly still be paid the stipend -- anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 -- that was promised.

"People had planned their lives around this. Contestants quit their jobs for this. We all had to step away from our real lives for three weeks."


The show's bachelors and bachelorettes have reportedly been discussing the incident in private on social media, comparing notes about what went wrong, and not many people know the truth.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski