Corinne Olympios has absolutely no memory of the incident with DeMario Jackson that shut down Bachelor in Paradise production and launched a media firestorm, but she isn't blaming him for anything.
ADVERTISEMENT
|
Corinne and DeMario were at the center of scandal this summer when Bachelor in Paradise suspended production on Season 4 in June after a producer filed an allegation of misconduct in regards their sexual encounter on the first day of filming.
The producer allegedly grew concerned that Corinne was too intoxicated to consent to the sexual activity with DeMario.
"I did drink too much, and I definitely understand that," Corinne confessed, "but I was also on a medication that severely blacks you out and impairs your judgement and messes with your balance that I didn't know you were not supposed to drink on."
The Miami native added, "And so it just caused a horrible, horrible blackout. It was like I went under anesthesia and I just, like, woke up."
While Warner Bros. was conducting an investigation into the events that transpired at Playa Escondida in Mexico, Corinne called herself a traumatized "victim" through a press statement, which prompted speculation DeMario had sexually assaulted Corinne.
However, Corinne clarified during her GMA interview that she feels she was not a victim of DeMario's actions.
"I was a victim of, you know, just being blown into the media and having people make these crazy assumptions and judgments about what happened that day, and I was really a victim of the media," explained Corinne, who said she has watched some of the tape.
"It was just like, all of a sudden, everyone became an expert on the situation, on what happened, and it was like, 'Well, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what happened.' It was just horrible to deal with."
When news of the scandal was making national headlines, DeMario released a statement saying his character was being "assassinated" with "false claims and malicious allegations." (Warner Bros. eventually found no evidence of misconduct or wrongdoing, and DeMario's name was cleared).
Now, looking back on the last couple of months, Corinne insisted she has no hard feelings toward DeMario.
"I wish him well," Corinne revealed. "There's no bad blood there. I wish him well, always."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW
But DeMario wasn't the only one who dealt with accusations and backlash on social media this summer.
"It got really, really bad," said Corinne, who was slut-shamed and called a liar. "I mean, it got a lot better, but the things people say are just insane."
Corinne told GMA, "I have definitely taken my time to deal with everything and heal, and you know, I just felt like laying low was really the best thing for me to do. So I'm definitely doing better."
Corinne was "in shock" watching the Bachelor in Paradise footage of herself this summer, saying she felt as if she was "watching someone else." As a result, the blonde beauty is making some lifestyle changes.
"I'm definitely weaning off that medication," she noted. "I don't want to be taking something that, you know -- it was very scary what happened. And I cut down the drinking.
Corinne, who also competed for Nick Viall's heart on The Bachelor's 21st season earlier this year, also insisted that she does not blame Bachelor in Paradise producers for creating the scandal's hype.
"No, no. Not at all. I would hope that if a producer saw anything that they were uncomfortable with anyone, they would do the proper investigations and everything to make sure that everybody is safe and everything like that. I'm super thankful," Corinne said of the show's decision to shut down production for about 10 days.
Corinne will be shown sitting down with Chris Harrison for a tell-all interview during the Tuesday, August 29 episode of Bachelor in Paradise's fourth season. Last week, DeMario shared his view on the whole situation with the franchise host.
ADVERTISEMENT
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski