DeMario Jackson has finally broken his silence as reports continue to swirl about his sexual encounter with Corinne Olympios -- and alleged "misconduct" -- while filming Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise.
ADVERTISEMENT
|
According to a source, DeMario is confident he did nothing wrong in Paradise.
"[DeMario] is doing great! In high spirits. Nobody truly enjoys having their character questioned, but he is certainly classier than how he is being portrayed," the source told Us Weekly.
"There are three sides to every story -- his, hers and the truth. He is in high spirits and positive because he knows without a doubt he didn't do what he's being accused of."
Production on Bachelor in Paradise's fourth season was suspended last week after a producer filed a complaint with Warner Bros. over alleged sexual activity that made her "uncomfortable" between DeMario and Corinne that occurred in a public pool at a Mexican resort, according to prior reports.
An investigation was launched because the producer was allegedly concerned DeMario was taking advantage of Corinne since she appeared too drunk to provide the bachelor with consent for their aggressive PDA.
(However, sources told E! News that the producer never actually witnessed the sexual act in question, nor did she view recorded footage of the events that transpired prior to filing her complaint).
"The show absolutely values the primacy of consent, and this instance it appears as though conduct allegedly occurred without the proper consent having been given," a Bachelor in Paradise source told People, adding that the situation is "incredibly difficult and complicated."
However, sources close to DeMario told TMZ earlier this week that Corinne was the aggressor on that first day of filming and actually initiated kissing and foreplay with DeMario on Bachelor in Paradise, which ultimately led to oral sex in the pool.
Another insider told Us that producers attempted to sober up Corinne after the incident due to her wild behavior.
"The next day producers told Corinne she could not drink and took alcohol away from her," the insider alleged, claiming that Corinne was upset she wasn't allowed to drink anymore.
Warner Bros. said in a recent statement the company is looking into "allegations of misconduct" on the set of Bachelor in Paradise, and once the investigation is complete, "appropriate responsive action" will be taken.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW
The rest of the Bachelor in Paradise cast was reportedly "in the dark" about what happened between Corinne and DeMario.
The franchise's longtime host Chris Harrison released a statement to Good Morning America about the incident and production suspension on Tuesday, saying there's a lot of "rumors" as well as "misinformation" in the press.
"The safety and care of the cast and crew of our show is of the utmost importance to us... Out of respect to all involved, there's only so much I can and will say at this time... I know in this day and age we want and even expect immediate answers but in this case it's just not possible. I urge you to please be patient and respect the privacy of the parties involved," Chris said.
"[Warner Bros.] is moving quickly to gather all the facts, and once that's done a clear concise decision can be made about where we go from here... I will keep you as informed and up to date as I possibly can. We're sorry for any inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused the cast, the crew and our loyal fans. It is my sincere hope that we can come to a quick resolution on this and get back to work very soon."
DeMario joined Bachelor in Paradise after getting kicked off Rachel Lindsay's currently-airing season of The Bachelorette for having a girlfriend back home at the time of filming. DeMario apologized to Rachel for the drama and asked for a second chance, but she sent him packing due to his dishonesty.
Corinne initially fought for Nick Viall's heart on The Bachelor's 21st season, which wrapped earlier this year.
She was portrayed as a villain on the season and went down as one of the most provocative bachelorettes of all time. TMZ even reported that Corinne had a boyfriend back home while taping Season 4 of Paradise.
Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise had been scheduled to premiere Tuesday, August 8, on ABC.
ADVERTISEMENT
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski