"Bachelor in Paradise" star DeMario Jackson is telling friends he did nothing wrong during an alleged hookup with Corinne Olympios and said the videotapes will vindicate him.
Only a week after filming began in Mexico for the popular ABC show, the series was suspended upon reports on possible sexual misconduct. Multiple reports claimed that DeMario and Corinne were inebriated and fooling around in a swimming pool, but the production studio is now investigating whether Corinne may have been too drunk to consent.
The New York Post obtained a series of texts purportedly between DeMario and a pal in which he says video will prove his innocence.
"Jesus – crazy day for you. You holdin up ok?," the person asked. The person on the other end of the text, supposedly DeMario, said, "I just want the footage." He then added, "We all know what happened and the tape will prove it."
Neither DeMario nor Corinne have spoken publicly about the alleged incident.
On June 13, "Bachelor" scion Chris Harrison broke his silence about the scandal.
"By now, no doubt, you have heard that we have suspended production on this season's 'Bachelor in Paradise.' I can confirm to you that this is sadly the case," he said in a statement. "Out of respect to all involved, there's only so much I can and will say at this time. Normally with a situation like this I would not say anything until the incident is fully resolved, but with all the rumors and misinformation being put out there, I don't find that to be possible anymore."
"Warner Bros. is handling the details of that investigation. They're 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," he continued. "There are a lot of competing details in the various press accounts of the incident. And there's a lot of misinformation out there too. We urge everyone to be patient until the investigation is complete."
The cast members have all been sent home, but many of them were really unaware of the scope of the incident.
"The cast is basically in the dark about what happened and they are not being told anything," a source told Us Weekly on June 12. "They were all excited for this season and to get to know each other. They were all getting along with each other well… The cast is so upset."