Corinne Olympios has responded to DeMario Jackson's claim that he was "falsely accused" of sexual misconduct while filming Bachelor in Paradise's fourth season after a trailer of the new season aired.
ADVERTISEMENT
ABC recently released an extended preview clip for Bachelor in Paradise's upcoming edition, which premieres August 14, and footage was shown for the first time of Corinne, 24, and DeMario, 30, flirting and kissing in a pool at a Mexican resort in June.
Corinne and DeMario made headlines this summer for a drunken sexual encounter in Paradise in which consent was in question and Corinne initially called herself a "victim." Warner Bros. temporarily shut down production to investigate any wrongdoing but ultimately found no evidence of sexual assault, so filming resumed.
"I'm glad footage of that day is being shown... This is a victory for all men who have been falsely accused," DeMario told Entertainment Tonight last week after the Paradise promo aired on The Bachelorette's thirteenth-season finale.
Corinne then issued a statement to Us Weekly calling DeMario's comment "false and misleading."
ADVERTISEMENT
"As DeMario is well aware, the footage that was in the promo was not of the encounter that caused production to be shut down," Corinne's representative told Us.
"The encounter that caused production to be shut down took place much later in the day, and it was in a hot tub, not a pool... Corinne has never leveled any accusations at DeMario."
As previously reported, a Bachelor in Paradise producer filed the complaint in fear Corinne was too intoxicated to properly consent to her hookup with DeMario.
Corinne claimed to have no memory of the sexual encounter, which prompted speculation DeMario had taken advantage of the Miami native. DeMario quickly asserted, however, that his character had been "assassinated" with "false claims and malicious allegations."
Warner Bros. previously confirmed that the tape of Corinne and DeMario's actual encounter will not air on Bachelor in Paradise this season.
ADVERTISEMENT
But franchise host Chris Harrison explained to Entertainment Weekly earlier this month, "You're going to see more than enough to show you what was happening that led up to the shutdown, within certain taste and values of what we can show on network TV."
Chris told EW that production captured three days worth of footage when Corinne and DeMario were still on the show, so they didn't want to waste all of that good material, which includes dates and romantic moments for other blossoming couples.
"We'll start talking about it right away and start dealing with it," Chris said of the controversial incident. "If you don't, it's the elephant in the room and then it will taint the entire season... You're going to see a lot of it, including Corinne and DeMario on the show."
Although Corinne and DeMario did not return to film Bachelor in Paradise because of the sex scandal, Chris revealed the pair will conduct interviews with him on a mid-season special.
"I would love to talk to [Corinne]," DeMario told TMZ in July. "I have nothing but love for her and her family."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski