DeMario Jackson stepped out wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Show the Tape!!!’ just days before the premiere of Bachelor in Paradise.
The controversial reality show contestant wore the shirt while out at the Doheny Room in West Hollywood on Friday, August 11.
Jackson’s encounter with fellow Bachelor in Paradise contestant Corinne Olympios in early June led to the production of the summer TV hit being shut down while an investigation was conducted into possible sexual misconduct.
The cast and crew were sent home from the beach location in Mexico only to be recalled several days later to resume filming. Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show, concluded nearly two weeks later that no misconduct took place.
Jackson, 30, and Olympios, 24, did not return to the set but were interviewed after the fact and will appear in separately taped segments to help producers explain to viewers what happened on the show. As Us Weekly previously reported, the pair did not have any interactions when the interviews were taped with host Chris Harrison.
While some footage of the pair heading towards a swimming pool was shown in a trailer that aired during the Bachelorette finale on Monday, August 7, producers have made the decision to not screen footage of the pair’s much-talked-about encounter in a hot tub.
Jackson told Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, August 8, that he was glad footage from the day in question was shown.
“I’ve always stuck to my truth and said, ‘Roll the tape,’” he told ET. “This is a victory for all men who have been falsely accused.”
Olympios responded to his comments with a statement of her own on Friday, August 11.
“As DeMario is well aware, the footage that was in the promo was not of the encounter that caused production to be shut down,” her rep said in a statement to 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.”
Bachelor in Paradise premieres on ABC Monday, August 14, at 8 p.m. ET.