Corinne Olympios has spoken out about an incident in a pool during filming of reality show Bachelor in Paradise.
Corinne Olympios has spoken out about an incident in a pool during filming of reality show Bachelor in Paradise.
Corinne Olympios has addressed rumours she was sexually assaulted while filming the reality show Bachelor in Paradise, saying: "I am a victim".
In a statement released to Fox News, the US reality TV star said she had "little memory" of the night in question and called it "my worst nightmare".
Production of the show was shut down indefinitely after the alleged incident, which reportedly occurred between Olympios and fellow contestant DeMario Jackson in a swimming pool.
DeMario Jackson.
The Daily Mail reported that Olympios "appeared to be unconscious" and that after the incident she was "limp and seemed unable to walk on her own".
In her statement, Olympios said "something bad obviously took place".
"I am a victim and have spent the last week trying to make sense of what happened the night of 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," she said.
"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."
Jackson reportedly demanded video footage of the pool encounter to be released, believing that the footage would show both parties were willing participants, TMZ reported.
The host of the show, Chris Harrison, yesterday said in a statement that various press accounts of what took place during production in Mexico contain "a lot of competing details" and "there's a lot of misinformation out there".
"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," Harrison said in the statement published by People.
Producers have said little on record about what exactly took place. Filming had recently begun for the fourth season of Bachelor in Paradise, which features former contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
Warner Bros confirmed that filming had been suspended following "allegations of misconduct on set" and once the company's investigation is complete, "we will take appropriate responsive action".
Corinne Olympios.
Harrison said that "the safety and care of the cast and crew of our show is of the utmost importance to us. It is with this thought in mind that we made the decision to suspend filming."
"An investigation into the situation was started immediately," he said. "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 added: "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."
Bachelor in Paradise is in its fourth season as a spinoff of ABC's The Bachelor. It brings together former contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in a tropical location. Its cast was announced last week and was set to premiere on ABC in August.
