DeMario Jackson is claiming that the Bachelor in Paradise scandal was a conspiracy against him.
Earlier this month, production was temporarily suspended on Paradise after a producer allegedly claimed misconduct in the workplace after Jackson hooked up with Corinne Olympios in a pool on set. In a statement to Us Weekly, Olympios referred to herself as a “victim,” however Jackson, 30, called the allegations “malicious” in his own statement.
Following the now-completed investigation into the situation, in which Warner Bros. found no evidence to support the claims, Jackson sat down for a three-part interview with E! News’ Melanie Bromley and revealed that he felt the incident was a personal attack on him.
“I got played,” he said during the interview, which aired on Tuesday, June 27. When Bromley asked if he meant “played” by Olympios, 25, Jackson clarified, “Not by her. I got played in general. I’m not sure by who, but I got played.”
Jackson also detailed how disappointed he was in the public’s attacks on both himself and Olympios. “Before either of us commented on it, I was already, like, a ‘rapist,’” he said. “And she’s a ‘whore,’ she’s a ‘slut.’ They were slut-shaming her because of what she did last season with Nick [Viall]. For me it was, again, back to the human race. We failed.”
Asked what he would say to Corinne if he saw her, Jackson had nothing but kind words for his former castmate. “I love her and I’m here for her,” Jackson said. “She’s experiencing the same thing I am.”
On June 20, Olympios’ lawyer, Marty Singer, released a statement to announce they were still conducting a separate investigation.
“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,” Singer told Us.. “It comes as no surprise that Warner Bros., as a result of its own internal Investigation, would state that no wrong doing had occurred. Our own investigation will continue based on multiple new witnesses coming forward revealing what they saw and heard.”
