DeMario Shares His Side Of 'Bachelor In Paradise' Scandal With Corinne – VIDEO
DeMario Jackson is sharing his side of the Bachelor in Paradise scandal for the first time in a revealing three-part interview with E! News.
On Monday evening, the first part of his interview aired, and DeMario held little back about what he called "probably the wildest night of [his] entire life."
Elite Daily reached out to contestant Corinne Olympios' rep for comment to hear her side, but did not hear back by time of publication.
DeMario, who was a contestant on Rachel Lindsay's season of The Bachelorette before being sent home after his alleged girlfriend showed up, described what it was like meeting Corinne, the "villain" of Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor.
Jackson told E! News' Melanie Bromley,
Our first real conversation was at the bar. We were hanging out and we kind of were just complimenting each other on being villains. I was like, 'Look, I've accepted this role.' We were just kind of laughing, like, 'Oh, we're about to dominate Paradise.' Like, homie stuff. Like, really really like friends. And then, we started having a little bit more fun, had a few drinks ... it got a little hot and heavy. She hopped in my arms, we started making out at the bar.
He continued,
I don't think any single man -- some married ones -- would turn down Corinne.
Jackson went on to describe in detail their sexual encounter in the pool that night.
After news broke that filming had been suspended due to alleged sexual misconduct, Corinne released a statement, in which she said she was too drunk to remember what really happened. She told TMZ,
I am a victim and have spent the last week trying to make sense of what happened on June 4. Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously took place, which I understand is why production on the show has now been suspended and a producer on the show has filed a complaint against the production. As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality. As I pursue the details and facts surrounding that night and the immediate days after, I have retained a group of professionals to ensure that what happened on June 4 comes to light and I can continue my life, including hiring an attorney to obtain justice and seeking therapy to begin dealing with the physical and emotional trauma stemming from that evening.
DeMario addressed her allegations, explaining it was Corinne who was the "aggressor" in the situation.
He said,
This is when she gets up out of the pool and puts her lady parts right on my face.
He continued,
I don't even know sober girls that can do what she did ... Don't get me wrong. That night, we went for it. Like, that night was probably the wildest night of my entire life. Like, we went for it.
Addressing the rumors that Corinne had kissed three other guys that night, DeMario said he saw her kiss Derek and that she "slammed him to the ground." He said he heard about the other two but did not personally witness those encounters.
DeMario said the next morning everyone was hungover, but things were super friendly between him and Corinne. Later that night, though, he was apparently approached by a producer who warned him he needed to leave.
DeMario explained,
[The producer] goes, 'Here's what I'm gonna need you to do: I'm going to need you to bow out. Tell Chris and the crew that you love them, you're thankful. However, you — you know, you're not there for the right reasons.' ... He goes, 'I can't tell you what I know, but it's going to be bad if you don't leave tonight.'
Last week, Warner Bros. ended its investigation into the incident and released a statement, which read,
As we previously stated, we recently became aware of allegations regarding an incident on the set of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico. We take all such allegations seriously. The safety, security and well-being of the cast and crew is our number one concern, and we suspended filming so that the allegations could be investigated immediately and thoroughly. Our internal investigation, conducted with the assistance of an outside law firm, has now been completed. Out of respect for the privacy interests of those involved, we do not intend to release the videotape of the incident. We can say, however, that the tape does not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member. Nor does the tape show, contrary to many press reports, that the safety of any cast member was ever in jeopardy. Production on this season of Bachelor in Paradise will be resuming, and we plan to implement certain changes to the show's policies and procedures to enhance and further ensure the safety and security of all participants.
ABC also told Elite Daily,
We appreciate the swift and complete investigation by Warner Bros. into allegations of misconduct on the set of Bachelor in Paradise. Given their results, the series will resume production, and will air this summer on ABC.
Corinne's lawyer responded to the news with the following statement:
It needs to be made crystal clear that production of Bachelor in Paradise was shut down because of multiple complaints received from BIP producers and crew members on the set. It was not shut down due to any complaint filed by Corinne against anyone. It comes as no surprise that Warner Bros., as a result of its own internal investigation, would state that no wrongdoing had occurred. Our own investigation will continue based on multiple new witnesses coming forward revealing what they saw and heard.
During the interview, DeMario got choked up talking about the emotional toll the scandal took on his family, particularly his mom.
He previously released a statement, responding to Corinne's claim that she was a "victim":
It's unfortunate that my character and family name has been assassinated this past week with false claims and malicious allegations. I will be taking swift and appropriate legal action until my name is cleared and, per the advice of legal counsel, will be seeking all available remedies entitled to me under the laws.
The rest of his interview will air at 7 p.m. ET tonight on E!.
