After an investigation conducted by an outside law firm, Bachelor in Paradise has concluded that there was no evidence of misconduct.
The announcement from Warner Bros., first reported by TMZ and blogger Reality Steve, comes just 10 days after the show suspended production. The show was temporarily shutdown after a producer allegedly witnessed sexual misconduct on tape between contestants DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios and filed a complaint.
On Tuesday, Warner Bros. released a full statement to People magazine, announcing that they were resuming production on the show:
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.
In Olympios’s statement released last Wednesday on the incident, she said that she was a “victim” who had little memory of her encounter with Jackson. She also said she would be “seeking therapy to begin dealing with the physical and emotional trauma stemming from that evening.” Jackson also released a statement in which he said it was “unfortunate that my character and family name has been assassinated this past week with false claims and malicious allegations.”
Warner Bros. issued a “no comment” in response to People asking if Olympios and Jackson would continue filming the show.
Update 5:45 pm: Olympios’s lawyer has issued a statement on her behalf, saying that they are still investigating the situation, even if Warner Bros. has completed theirs:
“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.”